Dirty Beasts

Information

Information on identifying editions is from Richard Walker’s “Roald Dahl – A Guide to Collecting His First Editions”.

First editions:
- Jonathan Cape, 1983, UK.
  - Illustrated by: Rosemary Fawcett
  - To identify: Used standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with later printings stated underneath) and published without a dust jacket and no pricing
- Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983, USA.
  - Illustrated by: Rosemary Fawcett
  - To identify: Used a First Edition statement and a jacket priced at $11.95
Later editions:
- Jonathan Cape, 1984, UK.
  - Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
  - To identify: Lists both prior printings of Fawcett illustrations and then the statement ‘This edition with new illustrations published 1984’

Contains:
Movies:
Theater:
- Dirty Beasts (orchestra + narration), 2013, London, England
- Revolting Rhymes & Marvellous Music (ensemble + narration), 2016, Somerset, England
- Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts (play), 2014, La Boite Roundhouse Theater, Australia
Audio Books:
- Dirty Beasts read by Pam Ferris and Geoffrey Palmer
- Dirty Beasts read by Prunella Scales and Timothy West
- Dirty Beasts read by Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig, and Miriam Margolyes
- Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts read by Alan Cumming
- Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts read by Pam Ferris and Geoffrey Palmer
- Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts read by Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig, and Miriam Margolyes

Buy this book:

Important note: From 2022 onwards, Puffin has edited selected Dahl books to remove sensitive language and insert new sentences not written by Dahl. If you would prefer to read the original text, ensure you get a copy published before 2022 or one of the “Classic Collection” published by Penguin.

Description

Roald Dahl’s inimitable style and humor shine in this collection of poems about mischievous and mysterious animals. From Stingaling the scorpion to Crocky-Wock the crocodile, Dahl’s animals are nothing short of ridiculous. A clever pig with an unmentionable plan to save his own bacon and an anteater with an unusually large appetite are among the characters created by Dahl in these timeless rhymes. This new, larger edition is perfect for reading aloud and makes Quentin Blake’s celebrated illustrations even more enjoyable.

Reviews

“Picture books to treasure” by Laurie Copping from the March 16, 1985 issue of The Canberra Times – Canberra, Australia (read online)

Fun Stuff

Merchandise

: Dirty Beasts mug

: Dirty Beasts Patchwork curtains

: ‘The Roly Poly Bird’ Easter Egg

Elsewhere on the web:
- Excerpt – “The Pig”
- BBC Schools: Off By Heart – Dockers MC recites “The Pig” (video)
- Singing Roald Dahl : The Shark – original song by Dr. Ian Inkster
- Singing Roald Dahl: Crocodile Rhyme – original song by Dr. Ian Inkster

Teacher Ideas

Dirty Beasts – A New Dirty Beast
- PDF with activities related to creating a poem, using rhyming couplets, about a new dirty beast
Dirty Beasts – The Tummy-Beast and The Porcupine
- PDF with activities related to exploring parent and child relationships in The Tummy-Beast and The Porcupine