I grew up in Barnes and now I live here with my family. All of my four kids loved The Gruffalo, which was published when my first child was born in 1999. We loved how cunning the mouse was on his journey through the forest meeting various animals who all wanted to eat him. He would tell them a tale he made up for a Gruffalo with his ‘terrible tusks and terrible teeth and terrible claws’ who’s favourite food was them! They changed their mind. My children loved it when the mouse met the Gruffalo who wanted to eat him! And how he tricked the Gruffalo not to eat him.

When reading the book my kids would call out the rhymes and there was many nights when they’d ask for when they’d ask for ‘scrambled snake’ or ‘roasted fox’ for dinner!