On World Book Day, children across the UK will recognise this monstrous individual with his “terrible tusks and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws” as the Gruffalo, the antagonist of Julia Donaldson’s bestselling picture book. First published in 1999, The Gruffalo has since sold more than 13 million copies, won various literary prizes, been developed into plays and an animated film and has carved out its place as a family favourite on the nation’s bookshelf.
