Divided into four themed sections - Animals; Magic; Family, Friends and Foes; and, Matters of Importance, this collection of extracts, poems, letters and memoirs introduces some of the author's characters from Willy Wonka to the BFG, from the Witches to the Twits. It contains a touch of magic and is suitable for the author's fans.
This wonderful collection is divided into four themed sections - Animals; Magic; Family, Friends and Foes; and, Matters of Importance. Illustrated in full colour by Dahl's favourite illustrator, Quentin Blake, as well as other leading artists (Raymond Briggs, Babette Cole and Ralph Steadman), this treasure trove of extracts, poems, letters and memoirs introduces some of Dahl's best-loved characters from Willy Wonka to the BFG, from the Witches to the Twits. 'Those who don't believe in magic will never find it', Roald Dahl told his readers. Every page of this stunning gift book contains a touch of magic and will delight existing fans as well as those who have yet to discover Dahl's genius.
Roald Dahl was born in Wales of Norwegian parents – the child of a second marriage. His father and elder sister died when Roald was just three. His mother was left to raise two stepchildren and her own four children. Roald was her only son.
He had an unhappy time at school - at Llandaff Cathedral School, at St Peter’s prep school in Weston-super-Mare and then at Repton in Derbyshire.
Dahl’s unhappy time at school was to influence his writing greatly. He once said that what distinguished him from most other children’s writers was “this business of remembering what it was like to be young”. Roald’s childhood and schooldays are the subject of his autobiography Boy.
Since Roald Dahl’s death, his books have more than maintained their popularity. Total sales of the UK editions are around 37 million, with more than 1 million copies sold every year! Sales have grown particularly strongly in America where Dahl books are now achieving the bestselling status that curiously proved elusive during the author’s lifetime.
