The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler from The 10 Best Children's ooks

This duo have produced many of the greats in children’s literature, but ‘The Gruffalo’ stands out, thanks to a winning combination of characters: a wily mouse who tricks the forest predators who want to eat him and a scary, knobbly, slightly loveable eponymous beast. Donaldson’s lilting, smart rhymes are whipped into magic by Scheffler’s playful drawings. Best for: Ages 3–7 In a nutshell: Hairy rhymes