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Quick answer: If you loved The Gruffalo, try The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, Zog, The Snail and the Whale and We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Each one is a rhyming picture book full of clever animals, silly monsters and read-aloud fun.
Julia Donaldson's 1999 picture book, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, follows a clever mouse walking through the deep dark wood. To scare off a fox, an owl and a snake who want to eat him, he invents a fearsome creature called the Gruffalo, only to meet a real one. The mouse must outwit it too. Readers love its rhythm, its repetition and its clever twist. These books share its rhymes, its animals and its humor.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Gruffalo's Child | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who want the sequel |
| Room on the Broom | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who want more Donaldson |
| Stick Man | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who like journeys home |
| Zog | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who like dragons |
| The Snail and the Whale | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who like adventure |
| We're Going on a Bear Hunt | Michael Rosen | 2-6 | readers who love repetition |
| Where the Wild Things Are | Maurice Sendak | 3-7 | readers who like monsters |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle | 1-5 | younger readers |
| Owl Babies | Martin Waddell | 2-5 | younger readers |
| Dear Zoo | Rod Campbell | 1-4 | toddlers |
| The Tiger Who Came to Tea | Judith Kerr | 3-6 | readers who like surprise visitors |
| Giraffes Can't Dance | Giles Andreae | 3-7 | readers who like confidence |
| Each Peach Pear Plum | Janet and Allan Ahlberg | 2-6 | readers who like spotting characters |
| Superworm | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | readers who like heroes |
| Tidy | Emily Gravett | 3-7 | readers who like nature |
1. The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson
The Gruffalo's child goes looking for the Big Bad Mouse.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
A kind witch shares her broom.
Best for: readers who want more Donaldson.
3. Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
A stick man tries to get home.
Best for: readers who like journeys home.
4. Zog by Julia Donaldson
A clumsy dragon at dragon school.
Best for: readers who like dragons.
5. The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
A snail rides a whale around the world.
Best for: readers who like adventure.
6. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
A family goes looking for a bear.
Best for: readers who love repetition.
7. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
A boy sails to the wild things.
Best for: readers who like monsters.
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A caterpillar eats through the week.
Best for: younger readers.
9. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Three owlets wait for their mother.
Best for: younger readers.
10. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
A child writes to the zoo for a pet.
Best for: toddlers.
11. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
A tiger eats everything in the house.
Best for: readers who like surprise visitors.
12. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
A giraffe finds his own rhythm.
Best for: readers who like confidence.
13. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
A rhyming I-spy game.
Best for: readers who like spotting characters.
14. Superworm by Julia Donaldson
A worm saves his friends.
Best for: readers who like heroes.
15. Tidy by Emily Gravett
A badger tidies the whole forest.
Best for: readers who like nature.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Gruffalo: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Gruffalo. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Donaldson, The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom and Stick Man are favorites. If your child loves repetition and rhythm, We're Going on a Bear Hunt is perfect. For more friendly monsters, Where the Wild Things Are and The Tiger Who Came to Tea are classics.
Related: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson: Summary and Key Takeaways · Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Gruffalo about?
A clever mouse invents a monster to scare predators, then meets a real Gruffalo.
Who illustrated The Gruffalo?
Axel Scheffler.
What age is it for?
It suits children about 2 to 7.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. The Gruffalo's Child.
Is there a film?
Yes. An animated short film came out in 2009.
Why is it so popular?
Its rhymes, repetition and clever twist make it great for reading aloud.
What should my child read next?
Room on the Broom.
What does the Gruffalo look like?
He has terrible tusks, terrible claws, a poisonous wart on his nose and purple prickles.