Find out what Spike has to say, why Nasim is an unusual kind of knight and what happens to the snake and the drake. Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading.