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CHILDREN’S author Julia Donaldson returned to the tiny primary yesterday where she first read her monster hit The Gruffalo – but growled over rumours she nicked her bestselling story from the school kids.
The 75-year-old writer had visited Auchterhouse Primary in Angus in the mid-90s where she had trialled her story about a clever mouse who outwits all its predators while taking a walk in the woods.
When it was finally published in 1999 it became an instant bedtime classic, going on to sell nearly 20 million copies worldwide.
It also spawned an Oscar-nominated animated film, commemorative coin, a Royal Mail stamp along with a theme park ride – and made Julia an estimated £85million fortune.
But yesterday she hit back at claims she copied the idea, saying: “It’s a little bit annoying because the rumour going around is that the children helped me write it, which is not true.
“I read the book to them and they then drew pictures of what The Gruffalo would have looked like from my descriptions.
“Of course all the pictures were very different. In some he’s long and skinny, some he looked like an alien, or a robot, but he always had the things I described like the poisonous wart on the end of his nose.”
Julia’s version of events is backed up by a teacher from the time Helen Smith, 72, who said the claims made her “very angry”.
Retired Helen, 72, who taught at the school for 40 years, said: “The children were so in awe when Julia read The Gruffalo to them.
“But in the last couple of years the rumour came around that it was the children who had suggested the story of The Gruffalo to Julia.
“That wasn’t the case at all. I was really very angry when I heard that because it certainly didn’t come from us.”
While ex-pupil Gemma Smith, 34, also clearly recalls Julia producing a “handwritten” book to read to them for the first time.
And former head teacher Sheila McCallum, 80, who had originally invited Julia to visit the school, added: “For several years after it was published we would have people calling the school to ask why Julia had dedicated her book to the school. But she did so because she promised she would.”
Julia recalls: “I first came around 1996 and the reason it was so special is because I had written quite a lot of plays for schools, and when I arrived the children acted out one of my plays that they had been practising.
“Afterwards I said, ‘Do you know what, I’ve got a story I’ve just written called The Gruffalo.’ I didn’t know if anyone wanted to turn it into a book or not.
“I then read it to them and told the children that if ever this story was made into a book I would dedicate it to Auchterhouse Primary.”
Born in London, the mum of three moved to Bearsden, Glasgow where she was a songwriter while paediatrician hubby Malcolm worked at Yorkhill’s Children Hospital – until The Gruffalo transformed their lives.
TWIN-CREDIBLE STORY OF TINY SCHOOL'S FAMOUS CONNECTION
TWINS Blair and Gemma Smith say people “don’t believe” them when they reveal that their former school has such a connection with a world-famous author.
Julia Donaldson dedicated her book to the Auchterhouse Primary – which has just 29 pupils – in 1999.
Her personal inscription has remained in all 18million copies published worldwide.
But Architect Blair, 34, says: “Even when I told my workmates I was going to meet Julia again today they don’t believe me.
“I have to tell them ‘Look at the dedication in the book’.”
Mum-of-two Gemma Smith, 34, whose son Bobby Murray, six, now attends the same school, says: “One of the main memories I have is sitting around Julia on the floor listening to the story.
“I also remember snippets of acting out her story A Squash and A Squeeze.
“The Gruffalo is world famous and it’s on the telly every Christmas Day, but it’s just lovely to have that connection with our wee school.”
She says: “The Gruffalo completely changed everything because the songwriting was drying up – then suddenly I started doing book festivals all around the world.”
But as Julia’s most famous creations celebrate its 25th birthday, she hopes her lasting legacy will be that it continues to inspire new generations to take up reading.
The former Children’s Laureate and grandmother of nine, says: “For children who don’t have books at home, The Gruffalo is often the first book they’re introduced to at school.
“So it’s amazing to see former pupils at Auchterhouse who now have their own children at the school who love to read because of The Gruffalo.”
*To learn more about Scottish Book Trust’s winter appeal featuring The Gruffalo, visit scottishbooktrust.com/donate
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