Julia Donaldson, MBE, is a British writer, poet, playwright and performer, and the 2011–2013 Children's Laureate. She is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children includimg The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man. She originally wrote songs for children's television but has concentrated on writing books since the words of one of her songs, "A Squash and a Squeeze", were made into a children's book in 1993.