世邮网讯： 英国2019年10月10日发行绘本The Gruffalo发行20周年邮票，这10枚邮票为纪念儿童读物《The Gruffalo》 20周年。这本图画书被认为是现代经典，由茱莉亚·唐纳森（Julia Donaldson）撰写，由阿克塞尔·谢弗勒（Axel Scheffler）插图，并于1999年由英国麦克米伦儿童图书出版社首次出版。此后的20年中，它已被翻译成84种语言；全球销量超过1400万本；并转变成电影，电视剧和舞台剧。伦敦的设计公司Rose设计了Gruffalo邮票和小全张。国际安全印刷公司通过光刻技术负责印刷。

　　以前也曾在邮票上进行纪念。德国在今年3月1日发行了一张0.70欧元的邮票，上面印着这本书的人物。（插画家舍弗勒出生于德国汉堡。唐纳森出生于伦敦）。

　　来自英国的邮票中有六张是分三张并排的（并排）。其他四枚邮票则贴在小全张上。三张邮票中的邮票讲述了这个故事。它开始说：“一只老鼠在深深的深色树林中漫步……”三张1.60英镑邮票中的第一张在树林中描绘了老鼠，并刻有“老鼠漫步”的字样。在新发行的公告中，Royal Mail描述了当鼠标在深深的深色木材中遇到潜在的掠食者时接下来会发生的情况：“老鼠巧妙地避免进食，声称自己去了Gruffalo，这是他想象中的野兽，他最喜欢的食物是掠食者……”例如，如其他两枚邮票在£1.60的小条上所描绘的那样，鼠标告诉Fox，一个野牛最喜欢的食物是“烤狐狸！”，并告诉Owl它是“ Owl ice cream”。一流的非计价邮票是从鼠标遇到蛇开始的。根据老鼠的说法，一群水牛喜欢吃爬行的蛇。如头等舱中间的邮票所示，当鼠标发现杂物。之类的东西时，老鼠大吃一惊。

　　皇家邮政揭露了故事的结尾：“为了逃避他[gruffalo]，Mouse声称他是树林中最受恐惧的生物（大笨拙的老鼠），并证明了Gruffalo陪伴他穿过树林。他们轮流遇到每个掠食者，它们毫不奇怪地逃跑了。深信Mouse确实是一个令人恐惧且凶猛的对手，Gruffalo终于也逃脱了。”但是在Gruffalo逃跑之前，老鼠告诉他他最喜欢的食物是“ Gruffalo碎肉”。在最后一张邮票上，“老鼠在深深的深色木头上安静了”，因为老鼠吃了他发现的坚果。

　　皇家邮政委托该书的插画家舍弗勒（Scheffler）为小全张制作插图。Royal Mail说：“场景是主要故事的概要，Mouse会明知地看着其他角色的反应。”在小全张的左上角，右上是£1.55的Snake。在底行中，Fox出现在左侧的£1.55邮票上，鼠标出现在右等的头等邮票上。右下方的邮票还描绘了空中的蝴蝶和地面的虫子。图中的布边上画着Gruffalo，一只松鼠，蝴蝶，鸟类和蘑菇。这是皇家邮政第二次与舍弗勒合作。他还受命设计2012年圣诞节邮票（斯科特3119-3126）。这些设计描绘了驯鹿，鸟类，企鹅，雪人，猫，老鼠和圣诞老人​​。小全张的尺寸为115毫米乘89毫米，每枚邮票为正方形，35毫米乘35毫米，带孔的量规14.5。其他邮票每套60张（在大多数邮政网点以30张窗格出售）。这些印章各为50mm x 30mm，并带有打孔针距14。

　　1.55英镑的邮票为寄给欧洲的信件的费率最高为20克，1.60英镑的邮票为寄给欧洲的信件费率为100克。目前的一流价格是70便士。除邮票外，Royal Mail还提供首日封，11张明信片，用于复制邮票和小全张的设计，由10张带有贴标签的邮票组成的通用窗格以及一个演示包。演示包包括邮票，小全张和皇家邮政将其描述为“独家的蛇梯游戏”。

British stamps honor ‘The Gruffalo’

New stamps from Great Britain mark the 20th anniversary of The Gruffalo. This children’s book by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler begins, “A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.” On the strip of three £1.60 stamps, the mouse encounters a fox and an owl.

By Denise McCarty

Great Britain’s Royal Mail is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the children’s book The Gruffalo on 10 stamps to be issued Oct. 10.

Considered a modern classic, this picture book was written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler and first published in 1999 by Macmillan Children’s Books in the United Kingdom. In the 20 years since, it has been translated into 84 languages; sold more than 14 million copies worldwide; and transformed into a film, television series and stage play.

It also has been previously commemorated on a postage stamp. Germany issued a single €0.70 stamp March 1 of this year showing the book’s characters. (Illustrator Scheffler was born in Hamburg, Germany. Donaldson was born in London).

Six of the stamps from Great Britain are se-tenant (side-by-side) in two strips of three. The other four stamps are se-tenant in a souvenir sheet.

The stamps in the strips of three tell the story. It begins, “A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood ... ”

The first of the three £1.60 stamps pictures the mouse in the woods and is inscribed “A mouse took a stroll.”

In its new-issue announcement, Royal Mail describes what happens next as the mouse meets potential predators in the deep dark wood: “Mouse cleverly avoids being eaten by claiming to be visiting the Gruffalo, his imaginary beast whose favourite food is the predator …”

For example, as pictured on the other two stamps in the £1.60 strip, the mouse tells Fox that a gruffalo’s favorite food is “Roasted fox!” and informs Owl that it is “Owl ice cream.”

The strip of first-class nondenominated stamps begins with the mouse encountering Snake. According to the mouse, a gruffalo likes to eat snake scrambled.

As pictured on the middle stamp in the first-class strip, the mouse is in for a surprise when he discovers that there is such a thing as a gruffalo.

Royal Mail reveals the ending of the story, “To escape him [the gruffalo], Mouse claims that he is the most feared creature in the wood (the big, bad mouse) and to prove this the Gruffalo accompanies him back through the wood. They encounter each of the predators in turn, who not surprisingly run away. Convinced that the Mouse really is a feared and fierce opponent, the Gruffalo finally makes his escape too.”

But before Gruffalo runs away, the mouse tells him that his favorite food is “Gruffalo crumble.”

On the final stamp in the strip, “All was quiet in the deep dark wood” as the mouse eats a nut he found.

Royal Mail commissioned the book’s illustrator, Scheffler, to create the illustrations for the souvenir sheet.

“The scene is a synopsis of the main story, with Mouse looking on knowingly, as the other characters react in alarm to the Gruffalo,” Royal Mail said.

Owl is shown on the first-class stamp in the upper left of the souvenir sheet, Snake on the £1.55 stamp in the upper right. In the bottom row, Fox appears on the £1.55 stamp on the left, and the mouse on the first-class stamp on the right.

The stamp in the lower right also depicts a butterfly in the air and a bug on the ground.

The Gruffalo, a squirrel, butterfly, bird and mushrooms are pictured in the selvage of the sheet.

This is the second time Royal Mail has worked with Scheffler. He also was commissioned to design the 2012 Christmas stamps (Scott 3119-3126). These designs depict reindeer, birds, a penguin, snowman, cat, mouse and Santa Claus.

The London-based design firm Rose designed The Gruffalo stamps and souvenir sheet. International Security Printers printed them by lithography.

The souvenir sheet measures 115 millimeters by 89mm, and each stamp is square, 35mm by 35mm, and perforated gauge 14.5. The other stamps were printed in sheets of 60 (sold in panes of 30 at most postal outlets). These stamps are 50mm by 30mm each and perforated gauge 14.

The £1.55 stamps pay the rate for letters to Europe up to 20 grams, and the £1.60 stamps are for letters to Europe up to 100 grams. The current first-class rate is 70 pence.

In addition to the stamps, Royal Mail is offering first-day covers, 11 postcards reproducing the designs of the stamps and the souvenir sheet, a generic pane of 10 stamps with se-tenant labels, and a presentation pack.

The presentation pack includes the stamps, the souvenir sheet and what Royal Mail describes as “an exclusive Snakes and Ladders game.”