James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (1961)
As I continue my Roald Dahl kick, I’m also inviting my children along for the ride. In fact, they’ve asked for more fiction from him, ever since I read to them the short story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” from the book by the same title.
That story captured their imagination, partly because of my Indian accent (I’m sure) but also because the alternative was The Fellowship of the Ring. They weren’t too fond of that Tolkien, but they love Dahl—I’m simultaneously reading Someone Like You which is collection of short stories definitely not for kids.
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The first novel we’ve tried together has been this, James and the Giant Peach. I recall watching the Disney movie when it first came out and being weirded out by the Claymation characters (or whatever they were), but I was young and impressionable. I’m sure that today I wouldn’t be freaked out by Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge and their depressingly grey world—or find the life-size insects a little unnerving. I just don’t know how my kids would take it at their ages!
Thankfully, they’d know what to expect from the movie now that we’ve read the book. It’s about a boy whose magical glowing stones make everything they touch enormous, including the fruit from a peach tree and the insects that live nearby. James is frightened at first, of course, but no more frightened than he was when loving with his wicked aunts. The creatures and James roll and float and fly their way around the world and into a new life of fame and freedom, making this an imaginative story of escape from the hand you’ve been dealt.
I didn’t come across many teachable moments in this book, though I’m sure a good teacher could pull out lessons about kindness through our differences, diversity, respect, etc. The Centipede also shows great courage and self-sacrifice when he risks his life to save a friend. There probably are plenty of things kids could learn from this book, but I doubt they were foremost in his mind when Dahl wrote it more than 60 years ago.
We all really enjoyed this one and now look forward to reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Those are the only copies I have on my shelf right now, but it’s garage-sale season. I’m bound to pick up a bunch more gems in the coming weeks.
©2022 E.T.
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Read More from Roald Dahl:
- Adult Short Stories:
Over to You (1946)
Someone Like You (1953)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (1977) - Children Fiction:
James and the Giant Peach (1961)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
The Magic Finger (1964)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970)
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)
Danny the Champion of the World (1975)
The Enormous Crocodile (1978)
The Twits (1980)
George’s Marvelous Medicine (1981)
The BFG (1982)
Dirty Beasts (1983)
Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
The Giraffe, the Pelly, and Me (1985)
Going Solo (1986)
Matilda (1988)
Esio Trot (1990)
The Minpins (1991)
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1991)