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They’re now as much a part of the Christmas Day schedules as the monarch’s boring speech and a bafflingly popular Mrs Brown’s Boys special. Animated adaptations of the picture books by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler have become a feelgood seasonal institution.
It’s a cosy tradition that began with The Gruffalo in 2009 and has since become a festive fixture, taking pride of place on BBC One on Christmas afternoon. The voice casts are always impressively A-list, with Rob Brydon the only constant. This year’s kid-calmer is The Scarecrows’ Wedding, making it 13 entries in the canon and counting. But which is the all-time Christmas cracker? We’ve ranked them all from worst to best …
13. The Smeds and the Smoos (2022)
We know what we want from a Julia Donaldson creation: cute animals, magical settings and heartwarming bedtime stories with a gentle moral. What we don’t particularly want is a Romeo and Juliet-esque romance between a pair of different-coloured aliens from feuding families. Especially not ones told in sub-BFG nonsense language. The Smeds and the Snooze, more like.
12. The Highway Rat (2017)
A sweet-toothed rodent becomes a masked bandit and steals sugary treats but ultimately gets his comeuppance. Despite David Tennant voicing the peckish pest, this is Poundstretcher Pixar. The flirtatious rabbit is a weird flourish, like the makers are reliving their childhood crush on the Cadbury’s Caramel bunny. Besides, the buck-toothed rat looks more like a beaver. Ahem.
11. Zog and the Flying Doctors (2020)
This subpar sequel to the superior Zog sees the clumsy orange dragon and decidedly non-dashing knight Sir Gadabout try to rescue an ambitious princess who’s been locked up in her dastardly uncle’s castle. As a feminist riff on fairytales, it lacked plot twists and felt like reheated festive leftovers. Daniel Ings replaces Kit Harington as Gadabout, while Mark Bonnar pops up as Distressed Unicorn. Maybe the mythical creature foresaw his performance on The Celebrity Traitors.
10. Tabby McTat (2023)
This mini-drama about a busker and his singing cat is a rare Donaldson story to be set in London, rather than the bucolic countryside. Jodie Whittaker narrates, while Sope Dirisu and Susan Wokoma are adorable as the lovestruck felines. However, the twee capital city is somewhat Richard Curtis-fied from the book.
9. Tiddler (2024)
Last year’s offering is basically Finding Nemo with tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon. A sub-aqua saga follows a little fish with a big imagination who is forever spinning tall tales to excuse his lateness for sea school. When Tiddler gets lost in the wide open ocean, he’s saved by his own storytelling. Stunning underwater sequences, plus some knowing cameos, but it’s a predictable piscine yarn. Might also make grownup viewers feel guilty about that fish course during Christmas lunch.
8. Superworm (2021)
“See him wriggle! See him squirm! Hip hip hooray for Superworm!” A heroic tale about a long, strong annelid who keeps saving the day. Well, until he gets a bit full of himself, starts ignoring his friends and is captured by the evil Wizard Lizard. The cutesy anthropomorphism – earthworms don’t have eyes, guys! – is soon forgiven, thanks to narration from Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Matt Smith as our slithery hero.
7. The Scarecrows’ Wedding (2025)
This year’s entry in the Christmas canon is a Worzel Gummidge-adjacent affair about two besotted turnip-heads planning their nuptials. That is, until a smooth-talking love rival puts them in mortal danger. Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson are charming as the straw-stuffed fiances, while Sophie Okonedo narrates. Small complaint: a crab randomly turns up on a farm that’s clearly inland. Sure, it’s not a wildlife documentary but give us some credit. We might be merry and slumped in a carb coma but we’re not daft.
6. The Gruffalo’s Child (2011)
This sequel sees the Gruffalo’s wilful daughter ignore her father’s warnings and venture into the deep dark wood in search of the fabled Big Bad Mouse. A neat reversal of the original’s plot, with a worthy message about conquering your fears and heeding parental advice. It loses points by being a little too cynically cute, not to mention its plot twist defying the laws of physics. It regains them for its snowy setting and gorgeously atmospheric glow.
5. Zog (2018)
Not to be confused with Irish puppet twins Zig and Zag from the planet Zog. This is the scaly story of a keen pupil at Dragon School, desperate to learn how to fly, roar and breathe fire. If only he weren’t so accident-prone. When Zog makes friends with Princess Pearl, who dreams of being a doctor when she grows up, he discovers his true purpose. Slyly funny, subversive and full of subtle details, with a voice cast including Lenny Henry, Tracey Ullman, Kit Harington (riffing on his Game of Thrones persona) and scene-stealer Patsy Ferran. Puts the “OG” into Zog.
4. The Snail and the Whale (2019)
A plucky sea snail befriends a gentle humpback whale and rides his tail fin on an adventure around the world. Who hasn’t dreamed of that? An enchanting story of unlikely friendship with genuine jeopardy and an air punch-inducing rescue. Winningly narrated by Diana Rigg, and visually beautiful, it features Blue Planet-worthy sequences, while delivering watery wisdom about empathy and environmental awareness. Blubbery in both senses.
3. Room on the Broom (2012)
This stone-cold classic sees a kindly witch invite an array of animals to hop on to her broomstick, much to the annoyance of her jealous cat. A spellbinding ode to friendship, family and inclusivity. The scenes where they all whoosh off into the sky are surprisingly exhilarating. A classy voice cast includes Gillian Anderson, Sally Hawkins, Simon Pegg and Timothy Spall. No wonder it nabbed an Oscar nomination. Wallace and Gromit vibes. Compliments don’t come much higher.
2. Stick Man (2015)
Another total banger with a true Christmas edge, hence its high placing. This Homeric epic follows a happy-go-lucky father’s quest to make it back to his “family tree” in time for Christmas. Martin Freeman brings soul to the wooden stick, while Hugh Bonneville voices Santa and Jennifer Saunders narrates. The climactic scene on a sleigh is downright spine-tingling. You’ll never look at a stick the same way again. OK, you will. But not for a few hours after the credits roll.
1. The Gruffalo (2009)
The original, the best, the one that spawned an entire genre of Donaldsonvision. A toasty tale of a mouse strolling through the woods in search of an acorn, outwitting the predators trying to eat him. How? By casually announcing that he’s off to meet a monster. But as any yule fule kno, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo. Is there? Extra poignancy is lent by the fact that three of the star voices – Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson – are no longer with us. They’re joined by James Corden and Helena Bonham Carter. It could only have been improved by casting soundy-likey actors Mark Ruffalo and Janeane Garofalo.
The Scarecrows’ Wedding airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 3.10pm on Christmas Day.
