When he was born he seemed too ugly for little readers. A terrible hairy monster with drool-soaked fangs and terrible claws. Theoretically it should have been called “tiger”, but with a name like that it was very difficult to find rhymes. Then its creator, the Englishwoman Julia Donaldson, after some doubts, moved on to the idea of a buffalo and from there she invented the name Gruffalo (which in the Italian version always has the accent). So his identity immediately became more defined and the illustrator Axel Scheffler did everything he could to make him frighteningly irresistible. His adventures delve into the fantastic, dangerous and unlikely territories that little ones love so much. With his adorable clumsiness the Gruffalo has bewitched children all over the world: translated into 100 languages, he has sold 13.5 million copies of his illustrated books (of which 750 thousand in Italy), later transforming into soft toys, carnival costumes and inspiring numerous gadgets.
Now celebrating its twenty-fifth birthday and to celebrate the creativity of its inventors, Donaldson and Scheffler, attached with «Corriere della Sera» and «La Gazzetta dello sport» arrives on newsstands, from Saturday 11 May, a series of large-format books which proposes, in addition to the adventures of the Gruffalo, the other most beautiful and famous stories of the famous couple. On this occasion the «Corriere» reached — via email — Julia Donaldson, at her residence near Glasgow, to try to discover the secrets of this overwhelming success.
In 1999, when you invented the monster “with orange eyes, a soft tongue and purple quills on the fur”, did you expect such longevity from the character?
“Absolutely not! In fact, I was afraid of not finding a publisher, it was also a gamble because twenty-five years ago proposing such unconventional characters was rather unpopular.”
Instead, the success of his creations, teamed with Axel Scheffler, was so impactful that you were nicknamed the “Lennon and McCarthy of children’s literature”: now that children are often given smartphones to entertain them, he noticed a different attention towards books?
“The habit of putting children in front of the phone screen at an ever earlier age worries me, but I am convinced that fortunately there are still many families who tell their children bedtime stories.”
Do you think that too much technology, used instead of the book object, can undermine children’s creativity?
«What scares me most is the banality of what the Internet can offer, social content that totally captures adults: I see parents who spend their time doing scrollinginstead of talking to their children. So not only creativity is affected, but also attention, which is essential to stimulate a healthy growth process.”
The story of the Gruffalo was born from the lie of a little mouse who boasts of the existence of a monster to save himself from animals larger and more dangerous than himself. Do you think that this somewhat fraudulent origin strengthens your sympathy for the character?
«Without a doubt, children always agree with the idea of using lies to get out of an unpleasant situation. Lying, making excuses and complicated situations has always been the basis of children’s literature. For children’s imagination, the greater the bluff, the more intriguing the story becomes.”
The success of the Gruffalo is also due to the perfect, original but also scary name that he chose for him. All the stories he writes have captivating lyrics enriched by rhymes that entertain children a lot. How tiring is it to always find the right words?
«I think this stylistic choice comes from my experience as a singer-songwriter, I have also always loved nursery rhymes. The first children’s story I composed was titled A Squash and a Squeeze and it became a book only after being a song. In addition to rhyming, I always look for the rhythm of words and with many years of practice doing so is much easier.”
Your creative partnership with Axel Scheffler has produced small masterpieces: how do you organize yourselves? Which words or illustrations come first?
«I have a very defined creative process. We always start from the text and no one must know what I’m writing (I only sometimes confide in my husband) but I keep everything absolutely secret. I don’t tell Axel or the publisher anything because, despite the great experience of working together, I fear their judgement. They could express an opinion that blocks me.”
«The Smei and the Smufi» tells in verses of two hostile tribes, by color and ideology, the former red and the latter blue, who hate each other. But among obstacles and prejudices, love will overcome discrimination. An important message about solidarity. How did you manage to pass it off cheerfully and lightly?
«It’s not that original! Shakespeare had the same idea when he wrote Romeo and Juliet. I think it’s a good narrative strategy when the author puts together two themes that are traditionally very distant from each other. I thought that Axel would like a slightly spacey, science fiction setting, which I then blended with the message that came from Romeo and Julietto make people understand how much damage discrimination and prejudice can cause.”
Why do you think children are always very attracted to the ugliest and scariest characters?
«But it’s the same thing for adults too! Stories are always boring if there’s no thrill of danger. Fear is very intriguing, you just need to let out a clue that makes you think that things will work out in the end.”
Each title on sale for 9.90 euros. The series of books in 19 titles
The series of large format books of stories created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler offers 19 titles, each book can be purchased with the «Corriere della Sera» or the «Gazzetta dello Sport» at a cost of 9.90 euros plus the price of the newspaper . In addition to the adventures of the Gruffalo there will be The witch Scarlett, The Smei and the Smufi, Superworm, Stick and many other bestselling stories. The first album, The Gruffalo, arriving on Saturday 11 May, will remain on newsstands for two weeks while the other releases will be on a weekly basis. Julia Donaldson (London, 1948) started out as a singer-songwriter and worked for many years in children’s programs at the BBC, inventing songs and nursery rhymes. In 2016 she was the best-selling English author in the world, even surpassing JK Rowling. As a tribute to her fame, in London at the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square, there is a portrait of her that celebrates her. Axel Scheffler (Hamburg, 1957) moved to England in 1982 to study at the Art School Bath Academy in Bath. He illustrated more than two hundred books and achieved enormous international success with the adventures of the Gruffalo, created in 1999.
