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Julia Donaldson

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/

Genre

Children's Books

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Growing up
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.

Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.

The busking led to a career in singing a Growing up
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.

Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.

The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.

I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.

One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.

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.

I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.

Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.

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. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking. ...more

Combine Editions
Julia Donaldson’s books

Average rating: 4.28 · 122,421 ratings · 8,948 reviews · 536 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Gruffalo (Gruffalo, #1) by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.44 avg rating — 32,826 ratings — published 1999 — 187 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler 4.39 avg rating — 18,557 ratings — published 2001 — 93 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator), حمید پیرهادی (مترجم) 4.34 avg rating — 8,201 ratings — published 2004 — 105 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.37 avg rating — 6,999 ratings — published 2003 — 65 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.27 avg rating — 5,144 ratings — published 2008 — 56 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.19 avg rating — 4,149 ratings — published 1993 — 55 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.20 avg rating — 3,577 ratings — published 2002 — 54 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Zog by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) 4.28 avg rating — 3,016 ratings — published 2010 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where's My Mom? by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler 4.27 avg rating — 3,192 ratings — published 2000 — 53 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Charlie Cook's Favorite Book by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler 4.11 avg rating — 2,539 ratings — published 2005 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Julia Donaldson…

Series by Julia Donaldson

Gruffalo (2 books)
by

Julia Donaldson,

Axel Scheffler (Illustrator),

حمید پیرهادی (مترجم)

4.42 avg rating — 41,508 ratings

My First Gruffalo (11 books)
by

Julia Donaldson,

Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

4.44 avg rating — 33,174 ratings

Zog (2 books)
by

Julia Donaldson,

Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

4.27 avg rating — 3,834 ratings

What the Ladybug Heard (3 books)
by

Julia Donaldson,

Lydia Monks (Illustrator)

4.25 avg rating — 2,775 ratings

Tales from Acorn Wood (4 books)
by

Julia Donaldson,

Axel Scheffler (Translator)

4.16 avg rating — 1,864 ratings

More series by Julia Donaldson…

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Quotes by Julia Donaldson

“I opened a book and in I strode. Now nobody can find me.”
― Julia Donaldson

987 likes

“I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me.
I've left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I'm wearing the cloak, I've slipped on the ring,
I've swallowed the magic potion.
I've fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.”
― Julia Donaldson

tags: childrens, poetry

347 likes

“Before Ellen could ask what she meant, she was striding off again.”
― Julia Donaldson, Princess Mirror-Belle and the Magic Shoes: Princess Mirror-Belle Bind Up 2

1 likes

See all Julia Donaldson's quotes »

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Julia Donaldson’s Followers (1,207)

Julia Donaldson

Combine EditionsJulia Donaldson’s books

Series by Julia Donaldson

Upcoming Events

Quotes by Julia Donaldson

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Julia Donaldson’s books