Absolutely no shade intended to The Gruffalo with my blog title. It is obviously one of the best children’s books ever written, in my humble opinion, but the aim of this post is to shine a spotlight on some other books from Julia Donaldson‘s amazing back catalogue.
As an adult reader, I LOVE Julia Donaldson’s stories as not only do they rhyme which makes the reading experience so joyful, but they usually come with a moral message, so you get that satisfying feeling that comes from a great story when you’ve finished reading too.
5 Julia Donaldson books my children love
To compile this edit, I asked Julia’s target audience – my sons (aged 4 and 6). They chose these 5 books as their favourites – Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book being declared as the top pick, but all very much loved.
/ Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book
It’s all about… the delight of reading stories! A very cleverly constructed tale about all of the different types of storytelling. A lovely tribute to the power of imagination.
/ A Squash and a Squeeze
It’s all about… not wanting more, more, more and being grateful for what you have. Sometimes you just have to spin your perspective a little.
/ Monkey Puzzle
It’s all about… a baby monkey looking for his lost mum – while meeting an array of animals and their young. This story takes us on a clever journey with drama and a conclusion kids will emotionally connect with.
/ The Highway Rat
It’s all about… Similar to A Squash and a Squeeze in its moral message, but this time it’s the charismatic Highway Rat who gets taken down a peg or two. He realises society really does function better when it’s for the many, not the few.
/ Room on the Broom
It’s all about… inclusion and celebrating differences. We meet the witch who, in turn, meets several animals who need a ride on her broom. Luckily for them, all are welcome, all that’s needed are one or two adjustments.
I love Julia Donaldson’s books and hope you’ve found a new one to explore from this list! Also to note that all of these books are illustrated by the wonderful Axel Scheffler, who really brings the stories to life.
Do you have a favourite? Let me know!
Books on the 7:47 
My godson love Julia Donaldson’s books – some of his favorites include – What the Ladybird heard, The Rhyming Rabbit, Sharing a Shell & Sugarlump and the Unicorn
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An excellent list – we haven’t’ read The Rhyming Rabbit yet, so will give that a read – thank you!
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Big fans of Julia Donaldson at our house too. We love Room on the Broom, Zog, The Snail and the Whale and Detective Dog Nell.
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Oh yes, Zog is another favourite in our house too!
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