Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The Gruffalo

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Favorite book adaptation promotes brains over brawn.

Movie G 2011 40 minutes
The Gruffalo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 4+

Based on 45 parent reviews

Margaret Jenson
Margaret Jenson Parent of 2, 3, 5, 6, 12 and 12-year-old
April 30, 2023
age 2+
Good Movie, My 2, 3, and 6 year old liked it, I could see why it could be scary but there is only minor violence, I'd say any kid who can handle mild scariness can handle this.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
jennifer-uk
jennifer-uk Adult
November 30, 2022
age 2+

Beautiful animation of the book for young kids

A true to the book animation aimed at young children. The rhyming is lovely to listen to, and straight from the book. Very calm and delightful as an animation. I’ve read the book to my daughter since she was a baby and she watched this as a toddler and loved it. The gruffalo is a cultural icon in the UK, kids love him!
1 person found this helpful.
See all 45 parent reviews

What's the Story?

On a stroll through the deep, dark wood, Mouse (voiced by James Corden) encounters three animals who think he looks like a tasty meal -- but he outwits each one by telling them that he's scheduled to meet THE GRUFFALO, an imaginary creature that Mouse describes as having large teeth, sharp claws, and a poisonous wart on his nose. Imagine Mouse's shock to discover that the Gruffalo (Robbie Coltrane) actually exists! When the Gruffalo then threatens to eat him, Mouse claims to be the fiercest creature around, offering to prove it if the monster will follow him back through the wood. As they encounter the three animals again, each is frightened by the sight of the Gruffalo, who interprets their fear as directed at Mouse and flees for his life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (45 ):
Kids say (8 ):

This enchanting adaptation is masterfully animated to reflect the book's original drawings and set to beautifully crafted music. It offers a great opportunity for parents to hit the couch with their kids and take in a truly wonderful story. Based on the award-winning children's book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the show breathes life into these loved characters and teaches a lesson about not letting size intimidate you. The crafty mouse uses his smarts to escape the larger and more powerful animals, who fall for his tricks out of unfounded fear.

There are some perilous scenes when the mouse envisions his own death at the hands of the animals, but other than that, The Gruffalo is perfectly suited -- and very entertaining -- for kids of all ages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the story in The Gruffalo. Do you think Mouse was scared when he met the animals who wanted to eat him? Did he show his fear? How did he outsmart them? Were you surprised that they fell for his trick?

  • Kids: How does the show compare to the book? Did you like the animation style? Were the characters like you imagined them? What other books would you like to see made into TV shows or movies?

  • What are your family's rules about TV? Why do parents set time limits and monitor what shows you can watch? How do these rules keep you safe?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate