From Our Editors
James Henry Trotter is a nice boy who has had some terrible things
happen to him in his short life. His parents were killed in a freak
accident involving a rhinoceros when James was only five and he was
sent to live with his odious aunts, Sponge and Spiker in a house
far away from all other children.
But one day, a mysterious little man gives James a bag filled with
curious green things that he assures James will change his life.
Unfortunately, James spills the little green things on the ground
near an old peach tree and they disappear into the soil before he
can gather them up again. The peach tree, it turns out, will get
the benefit of the mysterious man's green miracles -- a peach way
up at the top begins to grow, and grow, and grow!
. Before Aunts Sponge and Spiker can eat or even cash in on the
giant peach, James meets its odd inhabitants: a spider, a
centipede, a grasshopper, a glow-worm, a silk-worm, an earthworm
and a ladybug, all of whom have grown in proportion to the peach!
An amazing adventure ensues when the giant peach snaps off the tree
and rolls down the hill and into the ocean. Where will this motley
crew go from here? This is a wildly inventive tale of ingenuity and
friendship, with Dahl's characteristic flights of fancy. Ages 7-10.
From the Publisher
Roald Dahl''s children''s classic will be rediscovered with wonder
and delight in this handsome gift edition with all-new
black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Honor Book artist Lane
Smith (who also designed the characters for the Disney animated
film). How James escapes from his miserable life with
two nasty aunts and becomes a hero to his new insect family,
including Miss Spider, the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the Centipede
(with his 21 pairs of gorgeous boots), is Dahl-icious
fantasy at its best.
From the Jacket
Roald Dahl''s children''s classic will be rediscovered with wonder and delight in this handsome gift edition with all-new black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Honor Book artist Lane Smith (who also designed the characters for the Disney animated film). How James escapes from his miserable life with two nasty aunts and becomes a hero to his new insect family, including Miss Spider, the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the Centipede (with his 21 pairs of gorgeous boots), is "Dahl-icious fantasy at its best.
About the Author
Roald (pronounced "Roo-aal") was born in Llandaff, South Wales. He had a relatively uneventful childhood and was educated at Repton School. During World War II he served as a fighter pilot and for a time was stationed in Washington, D.C.. Prompted by an interviewer, he turned an account of one of his war experiences into a short story that was accepted by the Saturday Evening Post, which were eventually collected in Over to You (1946). Dahl's stories are often described as horror tales or fantasies, but neither description does them justice. He has the ability to treat the horrible and ghastly with a light touch, sometimes even with a humorous one. His tales never become merely shocking or gruesome. His purpose is not to shock but to entertain, and much of the entertainment comes from the unusual twists in his plots, rather than from grizzly details. Dahl has also become famous as a writer of children's stories. In some circles, these works have cased great controversy. Critics have charged that Dahl's work is anti-Semitic and degrades women. Nevertheless, his work continues to be read: Charlie and Chocolate Factory (1964) was made into a successful movie, and his books of rhymes for children continue to be very popular.
Hardcover
144 Pages, 6.26 x 9.53 x 0.77 IN
March 19, 1996
Random House Children's Books
0679880909
9780679880905