DOUBLE SIGNED, DATED AND LOCATED WITH A DOODLE BY THE ILLUSTRATOR

Donaldson & Scheffler, Axel (Illus.) ~ The Gruffalo – The Slipcased Gift Edition : Double Signed And Doodled

Macmillan, London : 2007

The First UK printing published by Macmillan, London in 2007 of this 'Gift Edition'. 8vo., publisher's dark green cloth with inlaid central image of the Gruffalo to the upper board, ruled in gilt; decorated with forest borders in gilt to upper cover; lettered gilt to spine, and with mouse motif gilt to lower cover; illustrated endpapers, and illustrated copiously throughout in full colour; housed together in the highly decorative publisher's slipcase, priced to the lower edge, with rectangular sticker ("Visit www.gruffalo.com for Gruffalo activities, games and fun!") as issued ; The BOOK is in Fine condition ; THE SLIPCASE very near Fine, with just the tiniest rubbing to the spine tips, ever-so-slight lifting of paper to the upper edge. Donaldson's most popular and enduring work, with full number line 1-9. Signed by the author and illustrator in black ink to the title page, along with the location and date ('London, 13. 4. 2011') by Scheffler to the lower edge, and a charming doodle of a mouse. 'The Gruffal'o won the 1999 Gold Award Smarties Prize. This copy also comes together with a Smarties Book Prize Bookmark loosely inserted. Arguably the UK's most popular Children's author, Julia Donaldson is the author of over 180 published works, many of which are for use in school settings. With a background in theatre, television and radio, Donaldson taught in primary schools and composed songs until 1991 when, at the age of 43, she was approached by Methuen to adapt her song 'A Squash and a Squeeze' into a picture book for children. Two years later, the work was published, and was the first of her many collaborations with the German-born illustrator Axel Scheffler. In 1999, they collaborated once again on 'The Gruffalo', a work which was to shoot both the author and illustrator to international acclaim. Inspired by the Chinese folk tale 'The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger', the plot follows a clever mouse as he persuades the fearsome monster that he is the most revered and scariest creature in the entire forest. Donaldson later wrote that she went over several iterations of the central character with Scheffler before deciding on his final appearance. 'I told this story in quite a few schools before sending it to Axel', she claimed, 'and some of the children drew me pictures of how they thought a Gruffalo would look. Sometimes he looked a bit like a robot or a creature from outer space! But as soon as I saw Axel’s version I knew that’s what he was supposed to look like – a kind of woodland creature that is both scary and comical.' The book has since sold over 13 million copies, translated into over 100 different languages, and has been adapted into audiobooks, plays, and perhaps most famously, a BBC film, which first aired on Christmas day 2009 starring Robbie Coltrane as the Gruffalo, James Corden as the mouse, Helena Bonham Carter as the squirrel, John Hurt as the Owl, Tom Wilkinson as the Fox and Rob Brydon as the Snake. 'Who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? He has knobbly knees and turned-out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black. He has prickles all over his back...' This edition, appearing eight years after the first, constitutes a rather deluxe publication, with beautifully-decorated cloth boards and slipcase. Scarce, particularly so signed and doodled thus.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Fine
SLIPCASE: Near Fine