When Christmas time rolls around, you can enjoy visits from Santa Claus, St. Nick, the Ghost of Christmas Past and, if you're watching the BBC, the Gruffalo.

The popular children's book is now an animated special for the BBC (soon to visit the U.S.) and is now the centerpiece of the network's holiday season.

Written by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and published in 1999, The Gruffalo is a 700-word story that's been translated into multiple languages and adapted into a stage play. It tells the story of a mouse outwitting several deadly animals as he walks through the forest until he meets the title beast.