Magic Light controls the film and ancillary rights to the best-selling children's picture books The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. First published in 1999 by Macmillan's Children's Books, The Gruffalo celebrates its tenth anniversary this year with over 4m copies sold worldwide.

The first film, a half hour animated special based on The Gruffalo, has just been completed and will be first broadcast by BBC One at 5.30pm on Christmas Day. The all-star voice cast features Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Robbie Coltrane, James Corden, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson.

Recently described by The Observer as a 'modern classic', The Gruffalo tells the magical tale of a mouse who takes a walk through the woods in search of a nut. Encountering three predators who all wish to eat him - a fox, an owl and a snake - the plucky mouse has to use his wits to survive, creating an imaginary monster who then turns out to be only too real.

Directors Jakob Schuh and Max Lang have brought Axel Scheffler's classic artwork to life with a unique mixture of model and CGI animation. The film was animated at the award winning Studio Soi in Ludwigsburg, Germany and produced through Magic Light Pictures.

Magic Light has also developed a high quality merchandising programme. A range of products are now available at John Lewis and Selfridges as well as many other independent retailers around the UK and at www.gruffalo.com