A major new free family exhibition celebrating the much-loved and longstanding partnership between writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler is opens this weekend at The Lowry, Salford.

The Lowry, in collaboration with publishers Macmillan Children’s Books and Scholastic, is thrilled to be curating a major new exhibition celebrating the acclaimed partnership between Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, who have created some of the world’s best-loved, and best-selling children’s picture books, including The Gruffalo, Zog, Room on the Broom, The Smeds and the Smoos, and most recently, The Baddies. From Saturday 22 July, this free family-friendly exhibition will feature several of Julia Donaldson’s personal writing notebooks; containing the very first ideas and creative thinking behind her picture book stories. These will be shown alongside Axel Scheffler’s artwork, showing the process of his illustrations from sketches and works in progress, to full page final illustrations that readers are familiar with seeing in the finished books. Throughout the exhibition there will be lots of fun opportunities for children to be creative themselves as they are guided to write their own stories, draw pictures, dress up, and play fun games inspired by the books.

And the Julia and Axel-themed fun will not be confined to the galleries space, with activities taking place throughout The Lowry. From selfie ops with a large Gruffalo statue outside The Lowry’s main entrance to earning a gold star at the Zog Academy in the Pier Eight lounge, and story sessions at The Highway Rat Storytelling Camp, and interactive role play at The Gruffalo Play Kitchen, there’s loads happening at The Lowry for families for the duration of the exhibition.

… And if that is not enough in the theatre Zog will be live on stage from the 4 August to 3 September!

Check The Lowry website for opening times and full details on events.

IMAGE CREDIT: Artwork by Axel Scheffler. Copyright © Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler 2023