Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's animated TV adaptations have become a cherished festive tradition on the BBC, offering heartwarming children's tales as a seasonal institution. This cosy custom began with The Gruffalo in 2009 and has since grown to include 13 entries, including the 2025 offering, The Scarecrows' Wedding. These adaptations are noted for their impressively A-list voice casts, with Rob Brydon being a consistent presence across many productions.
When ranking these adaptations from worst to best, The Smeds and the Smoos (2022) is placed at the bottom. It is criticized for being a "snooze," presenting a Romeo and Juliet-style romance between aliens with "sub-BFG nonsense language" that deviates from the expected formula of cute animals and magical settings. Following this is The Highway Rat (2017), deemed "Poundstretcher Pixar" for its depiction of a sweet-toothed rodent bandit, with particular critique for a "weird flourish" involving a flirtatious rabbit and the rat's appearance resembling a beaver.
Moving up the ranking, Tabby McTat (2023) is described as a mini-drama about a busker and his singing cat set in a "twee" and "Richard Curtis-fied" London. Jodie Whittaker narrates, while Sope Dirisu and Susan Wokoma lend their voices to the lovestruck felines. Superworm (2021) is a heroic story about an annelid, where "cutesy anthropomorphism" is forgiven due to the voice talents of Oscar-winner Olivia Colman as narrator and Matt Smith as the titular hero.
Higher in the rankings, The Gruffalo's Child (2011) is praised for its neat reversal of the original's plot and its message about conquering fears and heeding parental advice. However, it loses points for being "cynically cute" and featuring a plot twist that defies physics, though it regains favor for its snowy setting and atmospheric glow. Other notable adaptations include Zog (2018), narrated by Sir Lenny Henry with Hugh Skinner as Zog, and Room on the Broom (2012), narrated by Simon Pegg.
The inception of this festive tradition, The Gruffalo (2009), features a stellar voice cast including Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden, and Robbie Coltrane as the Gruffalo. It garnered significant acclaim, receiving nominations for both an Academy Award and a BAFTA, and was watched by 9.8 million people during its UK premiere.