The Gruffalo By: Julia Donaldson

In this story a mouse is walking through the woods when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. All three animals want to eat the mouse, so the mouse invents the gruffalo! The gruffalo is a creature with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in its terrible jaw, and knobbly knees and turned out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. All through the story the mouse uses the gruffalo to scare the others away, while he shows no fear. After all, there is no such thing as a gruffalo. But wait, at the end, the mouse encounters a real gruffalo! The mouse is quick on his feet and claims that he is the scariest animal in the woods. The gruffalo laughs but then runs away when he sees that all the other animals flee once they see the mouse. Readers know, however, that the others are not afraid of the mouse they are afraid of the gruffalo. This story uses repetitive language and rhyming. It also has great illustrations that help keep the suspense while the mouse explains what a gruffalo is.