28 Facts About Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which include The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man.

Julia Donaldson originally wrote songs for children's television but has concentrated on writing books since the words of one of her songs, "A Squash and a Squeeze", were made into a children's book in 1993.

When Julia Donaldson was six her father contracted polio and thereafter was confined to a wheelchair, though he still led an active life, working as a lecturer in the Maudsley Hospital's Institute of Psychiatry, where he pioneered genetic studies using the model of identical twins brought up apart.

Julia Donaldson attended New End Primary School and then Camden School for Girls.

Julia Donaldson studied Drama and French at Bristol University, graduating with a 2:1 honours degree.

Sell's roommate Malcolm Julia Donaldson, a medical student who played left-handed guitar and was a keen amateur actor, came to see the show and subsequently teamed up with Sell, Julia Donaldson and Purkis to sing in the pubs during Bristol University Rag Week in early 1969.

The couple continued to busk in Europe during holidays, including in France and Italy, with Julia Donaldson writing "The French Busking Song" in French, and "The Spaghetti Song" in Italian.

The couple were married in September 1972, Julia Donaldson composing an operetta which she and Malcolm, their best man Colin Sell, the bridesmaids and ushers performed at the reception in Burgh House, Hampstead.

Julia Donaldson wrote occasional songs for Play School and for the Watch with Mother programme Play Board.

Julia Donaldson composed two musicals for children: King Grunt's Cake and Pirate on the Pier which she and a small cast performed both in London and Brighton.

In 1983 the family of four moved to Bristol where Malcolm Julia Donaldson was appointed as Senior Registrar in Paediatrics to United Bristol Hospitals.

Julia Donaldson wrote and sang a few topical songs for adult radio programmes, did occasional amateur acting and street theatre, and wrote the songs for the Kingsdown community play Nine Trees Shade.

Julia Donaldson became a volunteer in Hamish's primary school, hearing the children read aloud.

Julia Donaldson devised short plays with the right number of parts for a reading group, rotating the roles until each child had read the whole play.

Once in Glasgow, Julia Donaldson 'pitched' for song-writing commissions with the BBC.

In 1991 Julia Donaldson was contacted by Methuen Publishing to ask if the words of her song "A Squash and a Squeeze", which she had written for the BBC's Playboard programme in 1975, could be made into a picture book for children.

In 1995, while looking for ideas for an educational series of plays based on traditional tales, Julia Donaldson came across a version of a Chinese story about a little girl who escapes being eaten by a tiger by claiming to be the fearsome Queen of the Jungle and inviting him to walk behind her.

Julia Donaldson sensed that this story could be developed into more than an educational item and returned to it later as a possible basis for a picture book.

Julia Donaldson sent the text to Axel Scheffler, whom she had met only once or twice, briefly, following the publication of A Squash and a Squeeze.

Julia Donaldson befriends a schoolboy called Finlay, who is loosely based on Donaldson's youngest son Jerry during his days as a paper boy.

Julia Donaldson has written a phonic reading scheme of short stories comprising 60 books of Songbird Phonics, published by Oxford University Press.

Julia Donaldson has performed jointly with her illustrators, particularly Axel Scheffler and Lydia Monks.

In 2011, Julia Donaldson was appointed Children's Laureate succeeding the illustrator Anthony Browne.

In keeping with her interest in acting and singing Julia Donaldson has set out to encourage children to perform poetry, plays and dramatised readings to generate a love of books and of reading.

Julia Donaldson has compiled an anthology of Poems to Perform by groups of children and has created an interactive website called picturebookplays.

Julia Donaldson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to literature.

Julia Donaldson was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours.

Julia Donaldson was awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Bristol in 2011 and the University of Glasgow in 2012.