James and the Giant Peach (Paperback)

Something is about to happen, he told himself. Something peculiar is about to happen any moment.

For Mr and Mrs Trotter and their son James, life is pretty marvellous. Until, that is, Mr and Mrs Trotter are eaten by an angry rhinoceros. Poor Mr and Mrs Trotter you might say, but really you should say poor James. For when his parents die, he’s left to the care of his miserable, selfish, cruel aunts in a falling-down house on a hill in the south of England and for a while it looks as though that’s just where he’ll stay.

Then, one day, James meets a strange old man who gives him a bag full of magical crystals and James’ life takes a most extraordinary turn. For when the magical crystals come into contact with a withered old peach tree, it starts to grow an enormous peach, bigger than anyone has ever seen, as big as a house, big enough to roll away all by itself and most certainly big enough for a small boy to crawl inside. Which is exactly what James decides to do.

Waterstones beckons you to crawl inside the giant peach and take a peek inside. There you might meet some wonderful creatures like the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the gentle Ladybird and the sleepy Glow-worm and join in their adventures. Roll a peach down a hill and who knows where it may end up.

Across the hills, to the sea and up, up and away!

Now the magic of Roald Dahl is brought to life in these new illustrated paperback editions from the imagination of Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl’s own favourite illustrator. With brand new, bold cover designs and Blake’s quintessential pen and ink drawings these are classic editions for every generation to enjoy.

Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter pilot, chocolate historian and medical inventor. He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and many more brilliant stories. He remains the world’s number one storyteller.

One of Britain’s finest living illustrators, Quentin Blake has put pictures to more than three hundred books and was Roald Dahl’s favourite illustrator. As an author he has written and illustrated a number of bestselling children’s books including The Green Ship and Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets. In 1999 he became the first ever Children’s Laureate and in 2013 he was knighted for services to illustration.