Back in 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown, the creators of one of the world’s best-loved children’s book characters found a light-hearted way to help families make sense of a strange new reality. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the writer-illustrator team behind The Gruffalo, released a series of images reimagining their best-known characters coping with isolation, home schooling and social distancing.
The result? Even The Gruffalo was social distancing.
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Even The Gruffalo Is Social Distancing
Image credit Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
The full set of 12 images, originally published by The Guardian newspaper, included an updated version of Room on the Broom, in which the characters, rather than fighting for space on the broomstick, sit far apart from one another.
For the very first book character the pair created together, the little old lady in A Squash and a Squeeze couldn’t take her animals into her house at all. Instead, she had to rely on them doing her grocery shopping while she stayed safely inside.
Together, the new scenes used familiar, much-loved characters to help children make sense of a world that had suddenly changed.
The Best-Selling Gruffalo Book
If you’re not familiar with it, The Gruffalo, first published in 1999, tells the story of a mouse taking a walk in the woods. Along the way he meets all sorts of characters, using each encounter to talk his way out of trouble — all in search of the terrifying (and entirely made-up) Gruffalo, a creature with terrible teeth and a “poisonous wart on the end of his nose”.
The book has gone on to sell more than 13 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into an animated film and a stage play.
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How Did These Images Come About?
Axel Scheffler had been thinking about what he, as an illustrator, could do to help people through such a difficult and uncertain time. He wanted to create something light-hearted that would raise a smile.
As Julia Donaldson explained at the time: “Usually with the books it is me who starts things off, but Axel had this idea of doing some witty sketches, each one based on our books and each one incorporating a sort of tip about coronavirus.”
Each illustration came with its own new rhyming couplet. For The Gruffalo, the lines read: “The Gruffalo, bursting with laughter, said ‘You go ahead and I will follow two metres after.'”
Image credit Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
One of the most touching images in the series showed grandparents waiting eagerly for a video call from their grandchildren — something so many families experienced during that time.
Image credit Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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At the time, Julia Donaldson also hosted regular read-along videos on The Gruffalo’s official Facebook page, reading stories and poems and singing songs for children stuck at home.
Looking back now, it’s a lovely reminder of how much creativity and kindness went into keeping children entertained and reassured during a very strange chapter. Did you enjoy these Gruffalo images at the time? Do you remember spotting them? Tell us in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created The Gruffalo?
The Gruffalo was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The book was first published in 1999 and has become one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time.
What is The Gruffalo about?
The story follows a clever mouse taking a walk through the woods, who invents a terrifying creature called the Gruffalo to scare off other animals — only to meet the real thing.
Why did Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler create the lockdown illustrations?
Axel Scheffler wanted to use his illustration skills to bring some light relief during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Together with Julia Donaldson, he created a series of images showing familiar characters coping with social distancing, home schooling and isolation.
Where can I see the full set of images?
The complete series of 12 illustrations was originally shared by The Guardian newspaper in April 2020. You can search online if you’d like to see the whole collection.
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