The Gruffalo is a British children's picture book by author Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

It is an example of a trickster story and was inspired by a Chinese folk tale called "The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger".

The book has inspired a range of merchandise, a commemorative coin, a theme park ride in Chessington World of Adventures, and a series of woodland trails.

In 1993, one of her songs that she sang and performed with her husband—"A Squash and Squeeze", about an elderly lady with a small house[3]—was turned into a book, published by Methuen and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

To outsmart them, he invents a terrifying creature called the Gruffalo, describing its sharp teeth, terrible claws, and other fearsome features.

Coming up with another clever trick, the mouse confidently tells the Gruffalo that he is actually the scariest creature in the entire forest.

[10] Some examples include the mouse averting the predators and the unusual descriptions of food, such as "owl ice cream" and "scrambled snake".

[12] Mice often feature as the main character in stories for children, and one key characteristic of the animal in this context is humour.

[9][13] Donaldson has said that the story of The Gruffalo was inspired by a Chinese folk tale known as "The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger"[14][15] (狐假虎威[16]).

In an article on the traditional Chinese translation of The Gruffalo in Taiwan, Chen-Wei Yu writes that the "resourcefulness" of the mouse in Donaldson's story represents a Western association with "individual autonomy" and "self-achievement", whereas the fox in the original fable is to be looked down upon because it does not accept its correct place in society nor an individual's obligation to others.

[15] This latter interpretation of the story has led the phrase "The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger" to mean someone who makes use of another person's power for their own gain.

[21] To create a satisfying rhyming scheme for the story, Donaldson tried a few different names for the creature that would eventually become the Gruffalo.

I thought the word had to have three syllables, and end in 'o', and would sound fierce with 'gr' at the beginning, so gruffalo came.In Burke's view, the name is "fittingly crafted by the author".

[23] The use of the Gr sound at the start of the name evokes negativity, harshness and discomfort, as it is a common consonant cluster in words with that connotation (for example: growl, groan, grumble).

It utilises alliteration from the very start (such as "deep, dark woods" in the opening line), which gives more emphasis to the descriptions and helps children remember them easier.

[28] She read the story in schools prior to the book being published and invited the children to draw the Gruffalo, which resulted in creatures which she described as looking "more like aliens and less like cuddly animals".

[28] In early sketches for the book, the Gruffalo was depicted as being humanoid, troll-like, and wearing a T-shirt and trousers.

[28][29] Scheffler's depiction of the creature relied on the physical descriptions within the text along with features which aren't mentioned, such as a pair of bovine horns.

[18] When the Gruffalo first appears in the story, he takes up a large part of the visual space on the page with strong, contrasting colours.

[33] In the penultimate picture of the Gruffalo, he holds his hand to his neck area which makes him look uncomfortable.

[49] This version features Robbie Coltrane in the title role, James Corden as the mouse, Helena Bonham Carter as the mother squirrel narrator, John Hurt as the Owl, Tom Wilkinson as the Fox and Rob Brydon as the Snake.

[56] A review in British Theatre praises the "dynamic movements in all the scenes", including fourth wall breaks, but writes that the musical numbers and scenery are not as inspiring.

[60] Other Gruffalo-themed woodland walks and trails have been established in Great Britain, including those at Kilmardinny Loch in Bearsden,[61] Mount Vernon Park in Glasgow,[62] Ardkinglas in Argyll,[63] Whinlatter Forest Park in Cumbria,[64] and several locations managed by Forestry England.

[66] Another ride based on Donaldson's book, and Magic Light Picture's film, Room on the Broom was also opened.

[67] Sterling silver, gold, and UK 50p commemorative coins featuring "The Gruffalo" were issued in 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the book's publication.

[68] The same year, characters from the book featured on a series of UK postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail.