Gruffalo & Co
Tales by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
12.07.2025 – 28.06.2026
Millions of children are familiar with the Gruffalo and his tale: numerous animals are out to devour the little mouse. To protect herself, she invents a forest monster that unexpectedly comes to life. A menacing beast at first, the Gruffalo is eventually outwitted by the mouse.
Oh help! Oh no! It’s a Gruffalo!
How many times has the central rhyme been read aloud? “Oh help! Oh no! It’s a Gruffalo!”—are the words uttered when the monster appears.
The Gruffalo has been around since 1999 and is extremely successful. Julia Donaldson’s children’s book has been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects worldwide. Somewhat frighteningly yet lovingly illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the Gruffalo, along with the Gruffalo’s child and other characters, have made up Donaldson and Scheffler’s cosmos of images for more than twenty-five years. Playful and colorful, they tell of courage, self-confidence, overcoming fears, friendship, and solidarity. The language is simple but rhymes. In the exhibition, around seventy original illustrations, sketches, and preparatory works reveal how these worlds came about.
Colorful Images, Fine Rhymes, Surprising Tales
Prior to The Gruffalo, the creative duo of Donaldson and Scheffler had worked together for seven years. Julia Donaldson comes up with the concepts for their collaborative books and shapes them into rhythmic texts with refrain-like repetitions. Axel Scheffler receives the manuscripts from the publisher, sparking ideas for his illustrations. The heroes of the stories are often outsider characters, such as a living branch in Stick Man, or a clever duck that outwits the thieving Highway Rat. It playfully conveys the message that even those who do not conform to the usual norms can be valued. Surprising twists often lead to the crux of the story.
Discover the Gruffalo
Axel Scheffler’s colorful illustrations appear simple, but are sophisticated. This is apparent in how the Gruffalo figure evolved, as detailed in the exhibition. In the original illustrations he was much more menacing, before Axel Scheffler gave him his distinctive and good-natured appearance with the characteristic orange eyes. Interactive stations for reading, listening, playing, and creative design complement the illustrations in the exhibition.
Curators: Gottfried Gusenbauer and Anna Steinmair