Transcontinental Summer Reading

The Gruffalo’s Child

The Gruffalo’s Child

Recalling a favorite book from childhood is easy; trickier is remembering your younger self’s exact reaction to it. We canvassed young readers from across the globe to find out what they thought of their latest summer read. Review the rest of the series here.

Name: Simon
Age: Six
Location: Munich, Germany
Reading selection: The Gruffalo’s Child, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

What was the book about?

It was about the Gruffalo’s child trying to find the Big Bad Mouse.

What was your favorite part?

When the little mouse was pretending to be the Big Bad Mouse, but it was actually a shadow. It’s dark and he stands on a tree and the moon is behind him.

Why did you decide to read this book?

Because I like it and my sister gave it to me for my birthday.

What do you think happens after the end of the book?

The mouse is still sitting outside the Gruffalo’s cave and the Gruffalo’s child is scared of him.

If you could meet the author, what would you want to ask her, and why?

I wouldn’t want to ask her anything.

Did any bad things happen in the book? Why did they happen?

No bad things happened.

Which character in this book was most like you? 

The little mouse, because we're both clever.

Fill in the blank:

I like books better than houses, but I like Hawaii more than books.

If you were writing this book, how would you have ended it?

Where the big bad mouse is really true and not just a shadow.

What do you think was the hardest part about writing this book for the author?

When the Gruffalo mommy snores, and the writer repeats “and snored and snored and snored.”

biopic

TMN Editor Bridget Fitzgerald lives, works, and generally makes merry in San Francisco. More by Bridget Fitzgerald