James and the Giant Peach (The best of Roald Dahl) - Hardcover

Dahl, Roald

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0001854321 ISBN 13: 9780001854321

Publisher: Collins, 1991

Synopsis

Written by the author of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", this story revolves around James, who lives with his two aunts who make his life a misery. Then one day an enormous magical peach grows in the garden and when James finds his way inside, he meets several enormous friendly insects.

About this title

Review:

When poor James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes "the saddest and loneliest boy you could find". Then one day, a wizened old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals that promise to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life. James befriends an assortment of hilarious characters, including Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider and Centipede--each with his or her own song to sing. Roald Dahl's rich imagery and amusing characters ensure that parents will not tire of reading this classic aloud, which they will no doubt be called to do over and over again! We'll just come right out and say it ... James and the Giant Peach is one of the finest children's books ever written.

Review:

"This newly-illustrated edition of an avowed children's favorite has all the makings of a classic match-up: Milne had Shepard, Carroll had Tenniel, and now Dahl has Smith...author and illustrator were made for each other, and it's of little consequence that it took almost 35 years for them to meet" --"Kirkus."

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0001854321
• ISBN 13: 9780001854321
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Chichester Clark Emma