James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach

• Written by Roald Dahl, a British author who previously wrote stories for adults
• Published in 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf, the same publisher of Dahl's adult short stories
• Became a popular children's book, leading Dahl to write other famous children's books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Origins of the Story

• Inspired by Roald Dahl's wonder about how a tiny apple seed can grow into a big tree
• Dahl thought, "What if it never stopped growing?" and chose a giant peach because it's big, pretty, and squishy with a seed in the middle

Genre: Fantasy

• A story that features characters and events not found in real life
• Examples of fantasy books include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and Peter Pan
• Fantasy allows authors to create interesting story possibilities and share ideas
• In James and the Giant Peach, fantasy is used to show how characters can overcome their fears and the importance of friendship

Illustrations

• The original illustrations were drawn by award-winning American artist Nancy Ekholm Burkert
• The book has been republished several times, featuring new illustrations by four different artists: Michael Simeon, Quentin Blake, Emma Chichester Clark, and Lane Smith