After more than 20 years, the Gruffalo is ready for a big comeback -.

For a time, the world of children’s books was absolutely dominated by the Gruffalo, as two books within a few years made the series one of the most popular in the world. Despite this success, however, author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler left the series at just two books, meaning it has now been more than 20 years since the pair expanded their beloved series.

But that will soon change. Publisher Pan Macmillan has revealed that the pair are collaborating on a third main picture book after The Gruffalo. The title and plot have yet to be announced, but the book is said to debut sometime in September 2026, meaning it will be only 22 years between this and 2004’s The Gruffalo’s Child.

On the return to the Gruffalo, Donaldson stated: “I actually had the basic idea for the story a long time ago, but couldn’t figure out how to develop it. It wasn’t until the NLT, whose work I really like, used the first two books as part of their Early Words Matter program, that I was spurred to get my idea out of the closet and see if I could turn it into a really satisfying story once and for all. To my surprise, I succeeded! Needless to say, I was very happy when Axel came on board, and I am even more so now that I have seen the brilliant sketches he has already done for the new book. I really hope children – and adults, too – will enjoy the new story, because I know what a great experience reading together can be.”

Over the years, a total of more than 18.2 million copies of the Gruffalo series have been sold, which are also accessible in 113 languages and dialects.