Rob Brydon again provides a voice, making him the only person to "appear" in all of the Christmas adaptations of Julia Donaldson's books. It's also Sally Hawkins third appearance in all adaptations.
In the classroom scene you can see a large number of characters from other Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffer books on the wall as children's drawings.
Axel Scheffler has hidden a Gruffalo in most of his works with Julia Donaldson, which have been mirrored in the adaptations. In this, the Gruffalo can be seen drawn on the school playground sand by a pupil.