Julia Donaldson is new children's laureate (UK)

Julia Donaldson, the author of the bestselling picture book The Gruffalo, has been appointed the new children's laureate, taking over from illustrator Anthony Browne for a two-year term. Donaldson, who lives near Glasgow and is the first Scottish-based laureate, has been writing children's books for more than 20 years, from picture books and reading schemes for schools to a novel for teens. She is best known for her rhyming texts for picture books, particularly the collaborations with Axel Scheffler which produced The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, Zog and The Snail and The Whale. Julia Donaldson's official website