Gruffalo Granny hits no.1 on Amazon seven months before publication
Gruffalo Granny by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is currently no.1 on the Amazon charts, seven months before it publishes on September 10th and following the book’s title and character reveal on Friday (6th February 2026).
The pre-order momentum was ignited by Julia Donaldson’s reveal of the new picture book’s title on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, alongside Axel Scheffler.
Speaking to an audience of 3.3 million, Donaldson shared that the concept had been nearly 20 years in the making: "I've had this idea for the best part of two decades, but I've just been so busy writing other things," she noted. "And now of course I'm a granny myself, so maybe that's what spurred me on.”
The rollout continued with a character teaser on Good Morning Britain and a series of 'first look' projections. Following a storytelling event for local families led by Donaldson at the British Library in London, the Gruffalo Granny image was projected onto the iconic building, with high-profile activations in Glasgow and Frankfurt.
- Glasgow: Hosted at the Mitchell Library, the event was introduced by Alana Ward (Glasgow Life) and attended by Marc Lambert (CEO of the Scottish Booktrust), drawing over 150 attendees for storytelling and crafts.
- Frankfurt: A projection at the Literaturhaus coincided with the Yippie Festival opening, featuring a Q&A with illustrator Axel Scheffler and longstanding Beltz & Gelberg editor Barbara Gelberg for a crowd of 200.
‘I've had this idea for the best part of two decades, but I've just been so busy writing other things!’
— Julia Donaldson
The announcement and character reveal attracted UK coverage across broadcast, radio, print and online, including the BBC News, CBBC Newsround, Channel 4 News, ITV News, The Times, Guardian, Daily Express and Scotsman to name a few, with The Week evening review making “Granny” its word of the day.
This eagerly awaited third book, which has been twenty years in the making, will see the introduction of Granny, a brand-new character, who will join the Gruffalo family in this exciting new adventure that has all the hallmarks of a Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler classic. Readers will be reacquainted with much-loved characters from both The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, including Fox, Snake, Owl and of course, the courageous mouse.
‘Get ready, Granny Gruffalo is coming to stay!’
— Jamie Forrest, Communications Director, Macmillan Children’s Books
This highly-anticipated publication will be one of the biggest in Macmillan Children’s Books’ history, supported by a blockbuster marketing and publicity campaign. The launch will also harness the popularity of Julia and Axel’s iconic character to drive an international children’s reading and storytelling campaign in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and other literacy and charitable organizations in the UK and across the globe, following an NLT report earlier this year which revealed that only 1 in 3 children enjoy reading in their spare time, the lowest level reported since 2005.
Following on from recent joint initiatives with The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, the National Literacy Trust is the lead charity partner in the UK, with Macmillan Children’s Books working in collaboration with the charity’s Early Words Matter campaign to empower children, families and their wider communities through substantial book donations, learning resources, community events and volunteer training.
Jamie Forrest, Communications Director, Macmillan Children’s Books said: “We couldn’t be more delighted by the wonderful reaction to the Gruffalo Granny reveal. I would like to thank Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler for leading the charge on Friday, demonstrating once again why they are the number one author and illustrator duo. We all share a huge affection for the Gruffalo, and that is sparking a brilliant collaboration, across our marketing and publicity teams and across Pan Macmillan. And we're just getting started: this momentous launch kicks off a year-long campaign, engaging children and families throughout 2026, building to a blockbuster publication in September. Get ready, Granny Gruffalo is coming to stay!”
The Gruffalo first published on March 23rd 1999 and The Gruffalo’s Child on September 3 2004. Combined sales of the picture storybooks are 18.2 million and the books have sold in 115 languages and dialects. There has been much speculation over the years about whether Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler would return to the deep dark wood a third time and Macmillan Children’s Books saw a fantastically warm welcome from readers across the world when the book was announced in April 2025.
Gruffalo Granny publishes on 10th September in hardback and audiobook. You can pre-order the book now.
