Julia Donaldson
Waterstone's Children's Laureate
From Julia: "I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him). Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes. I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I'm now married.
I managed to get work writing songs for children's television, and one of my television songs, A Squash and a Squeeze, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. My real breakthrough was The Gruffalo, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he's in London and I'm in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
When I'm not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs."
On 7th June 2011 Julia was announced as the new Waterstone's Children's Laureate, a role awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field. Find out more about the Waterstone's Children's Laureate.
Fact file
Name: Julia Donaldson
Date of birth: 1948
Place of birth: London
Current Home: Glasgow
Education: Bristol University
Similar Authors: Jez Alborough, Axel Scheffler
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The Highway Rat
Hardback
'Give me your buns and your biscuits! Give me your chocolate eclairs! For I am the Rat of the highway, and the Rat Thief never shares'! Life is not safe for the other animals, as the villainous Highway Rat gallops along the highway,...
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Books, eBooks and Audiobooks from Julia Donaldson
Zog
| Format: | Hardback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/09/2010 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He's also the most accident-prone. Luckily, a mysterious little girl always comes by and patches up his... Read more
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Freddie and the Fairy
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 23/09/2010 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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Freddie found a fairy, tangled in a tree...
Freddie is desperate for a pet, so when he rescues Bessie-Belle and she offers to grant his wishes... Read more
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The Highway Rat
| Format: | Hardback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/09/2011 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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'Give me your buns and your biscuits! Give me your chocolate eclairs! For I am the Rat of the highway, and the Rat Thief never shares'! Life... Read more
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Tabby McTat
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/09/2010 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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Tabby McTat is purr-fectly happy, singing along all day with Fred the busker. But when Fred gives chase to a thief, the two are sparated. Will they... Read more
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What The Ladybird Heard
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 05/03/2010 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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'Oink!' said the cats ...With all the MOOing and HISSing and BAAAing and CLUCKing, the farmyard is full of noise. But when Hefty Hugh and... Read more
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Cave Baby
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/05/2011 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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A hairy mammoth takes a cheeky little baby on a thrilling ride through a moonlit landscape populated by a sabre-toothed tiger, a leaping hare, a... Read more
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Zog
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/09/2011 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He's also the most accident-prone. Luckily, a mysterious little girl always comes by and patches up his... Read more
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The Troll
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 02/07/2010 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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The Troll longs for a juicy goat to eat but he's stuck with boring old fish for supper. Bother! Meanwhile, Hank Chief and his pirate crew love... Read more
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Tabby McTat
| Format: | Hardback 32 pages |
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| Published: | 07/09/2009 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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Tabby McTat was a busker's cat with a miaow that was loud and strong. The two of them sang of this and that, and people threw coins in the old... Read more
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Stick Man
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 07/09/2009 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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'Stick Man lives in the family tree With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three'. But it's dangerous being a Stick Man. A... Read more
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The Snail and the Whale
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 03/09/2004 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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One tiny snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on the tail of a whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and... Read more
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The Gruffalo's Child
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 02/09/2005 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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One dark night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't... Read more
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Tiddler
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/09/2008 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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The smallest fish can tell the tallest tales..."Sorry I'm late, Miss. I set off really early but on the way to school I was captured by a... Read more
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The Tyrannosaurus Drip Song
| Format: | Paperback 16 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/02/2009 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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When a timid little duckbill dinosaur hatches out in a T rex nest he feels decidedly out of place. Poor little Drip: all he wants is a quiet life... Read more
Stick Man
| Format: | Hardback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/09/2008 |
| Publisher: | Alison Green Books |
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Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three. But it's dangerous being a Stick Man. A dog wants to... Read more
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The Gruffalo Activity Book
| Format: | Paperback 16 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 01/06/2007 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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A fantastic activity book packed with exciting puzzles, games and colouring-in featuring all the characters from the much-loved picture book... Read more
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Room on the Broom
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 20/09/2002 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch's hat, bow and... Read more
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The Smartest Giant in Town
| Format: | Paperback 32 pages |
|---|---|
| Published: | 05/09/2003 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Children's Books |
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George wished he wasn't the scruffiest giant in town. So when he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he decides it's time for a new... Read more
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The Dinosaur's Diary (eBook)
| Format: | eBook |
|---|---|
| Published: | 28/06/2007 |
| Publisher: | ePenguin |
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Surviving and finding a safe place to lay her eggs is difficult for Hypsilophodon with dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex around. When she falls... Read more
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The Gruffalo and Friends
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 21/10/2005 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio Books |
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Go 'Grrrr...' with the Gruffalo, sing along with the Smartest Giant, and help Monkey search for his mum! This box set includes six... Read more
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The Gruffalo
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 20/09/2002 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio Books |
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This title presents a rhyming story of a mouse and a monster. Little mouse goes for a walk in a dangerous forest. To scare off his enemies he... Read more
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The Gruffalo
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 06/03/2009 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Digital Audio |
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This is a rhyming story of a mouse and a monster. Little mouse goes for a walk in a dangerous forest. To scare off his enemies he invents tales of a... Read more
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Charlie Cook's Favourite Book
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 02/03/2007 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio Books |
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Charlie Cook is reading a book about a pirate captain, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading about a knight, who is reading about a... Read more
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The Gruffalo's Child
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 15/09/2006 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio Books |
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But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's Child ignores her father's warning and tiptoes out into the snow. After all the Big Bad... Read more
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The Gruffalo Song and Other Songs
| Format: | Audio CD |
|---|---|
| Published: | 07/01/2005 |
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio Books |
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The Gruffalo is a familiar and much-loved figure in nurseries, schools and homes everywhere. Now he returns in his very own song to offer truly... Read more
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