The Gruffalo

Working at Standaard Boekhandel wasn't a total loss. Sure, I complained 24/7 and it shattered some of my illussions about the potential joy of bookselling but it also got me interested in children's literature.

With the exception of my beloved Winnie the Pooh it had been years, decades even since I encountered the wonderful worlds of Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter, Narnia,... to name but a few. As we grow older, we often forget our first fictional friends and only find them again when we have children of our own but being exposed to these quirky characters, colorful covers and sweet stories for six months had me yearning for more.

Having no idea where to begin, I bought 1001 Children's Books you must read before you grow up and started my quest for memorable and magical moments for kids of all ages.

One of the books that immediately caught my eye was The Gruffalo about a tiny mouse that takes a walk through the deep dark woods and encounters all kinds of peril. Whenever it is about to be eaten, it makes up a story about a dangerous and ghastly being called a Gruffalo, scaring off potential predators. Yet little does it know, that there is such a thing as a Gruffalo.

Although it is immensely popular in the UK, a modern classic even, Belgians will probably look at you funny when you utter this creature's name despite the fact that The Gruffalo celebrated it's tenth birthday in 2009 and has already won several prestigeous awards.

Julia Donaldson brought this crazy title character to life and has since become a very popular children's writer. Together with celebrated German illustrater Axel Scheffler, they have created many gems like Stick Man, Tabby McTat and the magical sequel The Gruffalo's Child.

Besides a glossy gold anniversary edition, 2009 also gave us a gloriously good BBC adaptation of this beloved classic which aired on Christmas day. Helena Bonham Carter, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson,... voiced this amazing animated adventure.