Gruffalo Granny, the latest book in the series by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, has experienced a highly successful launch, with sales exceeding expectations and prompting booksellers to order additional stock.
Waterstones reported that the new title, released on Thursday, sold more copies on its first day than the authors' previous book, Jonty Gentoo, did in its entire first week. The retailer's children's buyer, Lucy Jakes, described the customer and bookseller response as "nothing short of sensational," noting it was the biggest pre-order of the year so far and the most anticipated children's book in recent years. Jakes predicted it would become the biggest children's book of the year, citing enthusiastic displays in bookshops.
The Works, a rival chain, has also seen strong demand and has already ordered extra copies to meet customer needs. A spokesperson for The Works stated that shoppers are quickly buying the new addition to the series, indicating that "there's always room for one more Gruffalo story."
The release of Gruffalo Granny marks the first new Gruffalo book in over 20 years, with the last installment, The Gruffalo's Child, published in 2004. The original story, The Gruffalo, was released in 1999.