Today we’re going to read The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood. “Why not?
Why not?” “Because if you do The Big Bad Mouse will be after you.
I met him once,” said the Gruffalo. “I met him a long long time ago.”
“What does he look like? Tell us, Dad. Is he terribly big and terribly bad?”
This is the Gruffalo and this is the Gruffalo’s child. She doesn’t have the wart on the end of her
nose yet. She is holding her favorite stick doll and has other wooden toys to play with. There are
nuts in the bottom of the cave and some bones left over from dinner. The Gruffalo is telling
her about the Big Bad Mouse. Do you know what the Big Bad Mouse looks like? Let’s find out.
“I can’t quite remember,” the Gruffalo said. Then he thought for a minute and scratched his head.
“The Big Bad Mouse is terribly strong and his scaly tail is terribly long.
His eyes are like pools of terrible fire and his terrible whiskers are tougher than wire.”
The Gruffalo remembers the big bad mouse as strong, with a long scaly tail, orange eyes
and tough, wiry whiskers. The Big Bad Mouse sure
sounds scary. That’s a good reason for a gruffalo not to go into the deep dark wood.
One snowy night when the Gruffalo snored The Gruffalo’s Child was feeling bored.
The Gruffalo’s Child was feeling brave so she tiptoed out of the gruffalo cave.
The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild. Into the wood went the Gruffalo’s Child.
The Gruffalo’s child must be curious about the deep dark wood and the big bad mouse.
She’s going to go explore in the deep dark wood while the Gruffalo is sleeping. Do you
think she’ll meet anyone? The crows don’t seem to be interested and this rabbit is running away.
Aha! Oho! A trail in the snow! Whose is this trail and where does it go?
A tail poked out of a logpile house. Could this be the tail of the Big Bad Mouse?
What do you think? Do you recognize this tail? Look at the long trail in the snow
and the markings on the tail. Does a mouse tail normally look like that?
No right. Can you guess what kind of animal it is?
Out slid the creature. His eyes were small, and he didn’t have whiskers - no, none at all.
“You’re not the Mouse.” “Not I,” said the snake. “He’s down by the lake - eating gruffalo cake.”
The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild. “I’m not scared,” said the Gruffalo’s Child.
Did the snake tell the truth? Is the mouse eating gruffalo cake?
I don’t think so. I think the snake wanted the Gruffalo child to go away so he lied about
where the mouse was and what he was eating. I’m sure he doesn’t want to run into her dad again.
Aha! Oho!
Marks in the snow! Whose are these claw marks? Where do they go? Two eyes gleamed
out of a treetop house. Could these be the eyes of the Big Bad Mouse?
The Gruffalo said that the Big Bad Mouse has eyes like fire,
but these eyes belong to what kind of animal. An Owl, that’s right.
Down flew the creature. His tail was short, and he didn’t have whiskers of any sort.
“You’re not the Mouse,” “Toowhoo, not I, But he’s somewhere nearby, eating gruffalo pie.” The snow
fell fast and the wind blew wild. “I’m not scared,” said the Gruffalo’s Child.
The owl also didn’t tell her the truth. Do you think she will find the Big Bad Mouse?
I wonder how deep she will go into the woods to find him.
Aha! Oho!
A track in the snow! Whose is this track and where does it go? Whiskers at last!
And an underground house! Could this be the home of the Big Bad Mouse?
The Gruffalo said that the Big Bad Mouse
has wiry whiskers. Do you think this time she has found the Big Bad Mouse.
Out slunk the creature. His eyes weren’t fiery. His tail wasn’t scaly. His whiskers weren’t wiry.
“You’re not the Mouse.” “Oh no, not me. He’s under a tree - drinking gruffalo tea.”
“It’s all a trick!” said the Gruffalo’s Child as she sat on a stump where the snow lay piled.
“I don’t believe in the Big Bad Mouse….
Do you think everyone is trying to trick her? It seems that way right?
“But here comes a little one, out of his house!
Not big, not bad, but a mouse at least - You’ll taste good as a midnight feast.”
It’s the mouse. Just a regular mouse. Do you think the mouse will be eaten by the Gruffalo’s child?
“Wait!” said the Mouse. “Before you eat, There’s a friend of mine that you ought to meet.
If you’ll let me hop onto a hazel twig I’ll beckon my friend so bad
and big.” The Gruffalo’s Child unclenched her fist. “The Big Bad Mouse - so he does
exist!” The mouse hopped into the hazel tree. He beckoned, then said, “Just wait and see.”
Do you think the Big Bad Mouse will come? What if she gets eaten by him?
Out came the moon. It was bright and round. A terrible shadow fell onto the ground.
Who is this creature so big, bad and strong? His tail and his whiskers are terribly long.
His ears are enormous, and over his shoulder, He carries a nut as big as a boulder!
“The Big Bad Mouse!” yelled the Gruffalo’s Child. The mouse jumped down from the twig and smiled.
Aha! Oho! Prints in the snow. Whose are these footprints? Where do they go?
Now the mouse is following footprints in the snow. And you already know who they belong to.
The footprints led to the gruffalo cave,
where the Gruffalo’s Child was a bit less brave. The Gruffalo’s Child was a bit less bored…
And the Gruffalo snored and snored and snored.
The end. The Gruffalo’s Child started off curious and went by herself into the deep dark wood.
It could’ve been very dangerous, but she was lucky and found her way back home.
It’s normally a good thing to listen to your parents, when they tell you not to do something
so you don’t get hurt. They’re always looking out for you. To read other books, subscribe
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and listen to more stories. Keep reading and until next time, on Miss Sofie’s storytime.