The Gruffalo

• Black writing on a white background draws the reader in and stands out on the page. The white background also creates the idea of no limits and infiniteness and this could be related to the fact that the story is set in a forest and forests are seen as large boundaryless spaces. 
• The sentences are short to ensure easy reading, a feature commonly found in young children’s books but they could also be short as the pictures are supposed to tell the story and the writing just reinforces and clarifies the storyline/events.

• The images also allow young children to follow and retell the story, regardless of if they can read.

• The writing on the left page is positioned in a way that creates tension, this combined with the close up illustrations of the Gruffalo’s features: ‘tusks, claws and teeth’, create a sense of fear. 

• The writing also produces a pattern that allows the reader to engage with the book in a ‘sing-song’ like way and this structure/pattern is repeated throughout the book through the use of rhymes.

• The pictures have soft edges on a white background so that they blend together and are easy on the eye.

• Although the mouse is the main character in the story, his size is proportionate to real life when compared to the other animals e.g. fox and owl, and this draws the eye to the new animal that has been introduced.

• The idea of a Gruffalo and the description of his ‘terrible’ features creates a tense, scary atmosphere but, the use of bright colours and a little mouse that takes you through the story a 'friendlier' tone is received, which may be more appropriate for its target audience.