The Gruffalo voted best bedtime story in UK - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Children's classic The Gruffalo has been named the best bedtime story in the UK, says a poll. The book, penned by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, tells the story of a mouse who hoodwinks an owl, a fox and a snake before finally getting the better of the terrifying Gruffalo itself. The tale piped runner-up Winnie The Pooh followed by The Very Hungry Caterpillar in the poll of BBC Radio 2 listeners. ''I am going to come clean - it's my favourite too," the BBC quoted Jeremy Vine, who hosted the poll on his show, as saying. "Julia Donaldson is the Shakespeare of children's writers, and the funny thing about her is that, because the Gruffalo only came out 10 years ago, there are many, many people who haven't even clocked that Britain has this genius in its midst. ''It's not just The Gruffalo - it's everything she has written. I am a massive fan, but I'm happy to take my place behind about 500,000 British children,'' he added. Other books that made it to the list included Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and Where The Wild Things Are.