Photo of Julia Donaldson
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Julia Donaldson

b. 1948

1 series 7 books in order 3 standalone books

Julia Donaldson CBE (born Julia Catherine Shields on 16 September 1948) is an English writer and playwright who served as the Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013. She is renowned for her rhyming stories for children, often illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Her most well-known works include The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She began her career writing songs for children's television and transitioned to book writing after the 1993 publication of A Squash and a Squeeze, based on one of her songs. Donaldson has authored 184 published works, with 64 available in bookshops and 120 intended for school use, including her Songbirds phonic reading scheme, part of the Oxford Reading Tree series.

Born
1948
Known for
Julia Donaldson Picture Books

Series by Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson Picture Books

4 books in order · 2000–2017 · Publication order

  1. Cover of The Gruffalo

    The Gruffalo

    2000 · Julia Donaldson

    The Gruffalo is a children's picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It follows a mouse who takes a walk in the…

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  2. Cover of Room on the Broom

    Room on the Broom

    2001 · Julia Donaldson

    A kind witch flies through the sky with her cat, but the breezy ride keeps scattering her belongings as she loses her hat, bow, and wand. Each time…

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  3. Cover of The Paper Dolls

    The Paper Dolls

    2012 · Julia Donaldson

    A little girl cuts out a chain of paper dolls and gives each one a name, then takes them on imaginative adventures around the house and garden.…

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  4. Cover of The Giant Jumparee

    The Giant Jumparee

    2017 · Julia Donaldson

    When a booming voice rises up from inside a burrow declaring that a fearsome Giant Jumperee is coming out, the woodland animals are too frightened to…

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of The Snail and the Whale

    The Snail and the Whale

    2023

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  2. Cover of What the Ladybird Heard Next

    What the Ladybird Heard Next

    2015

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  3. Cover of Superworm

    Superworm

    2012

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Julia Donaldson written?

We list 7 books by Julia Donaldson across 1 series, published between 2000–2023 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Julia Donaldson's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Gruffalo.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Julia Donaldson's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.