Tag: childrensbook

Billy and the Minpins

Sections: Information | Description | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Norwegian, Polish, and Spanish Covers

Information

  • 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

Little Billy strays into the forest, where he meets the Minpins–tiny people who live within the trees. The Minpins tell Billy about The Gruncher, who preys on them. So Billy embarks on a mission to rid the Minpins of their foe once and for all, and sets off–on the back of a swan–to confront The Gruncher.

Teacher Ideas

  • Billy and the Minpins – Lesson Plans
    • Get your class to think of ways to help Billy escape the Gruncher with the YPO lesson plans which include Art and Literacy Objectives on spoken language, imagining worlds and celebrating achievements.

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Norwegian Covers – Billy og bittesmåene

Polish Covers – Billy i Miniputki

Spanish Covers – Billy y los Mimpins

The Witches

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Awards | Articles | Criticism and Analysis | Fun Stuff | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Bulgarian Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Spanish, and Vietnamese Covers

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: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with no later printings listed underneath) and published with a dust jacket priced at £6.50, the rear flap of which does not have a copyright attribution to Quentin Blake.
    •  Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a limitation page outlining limitation of 300 copies and signed by Dahl and Blake. Published with a slipcase and not priced.
    • Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a standard First American Edition statement and published with a dust jacket priced at $10.95.
  • Other editions:
    • Scholastic, 2020, USA.
      • “The Witches: The Graphic Novel”
      • Illustrated by: Pénélope Bagieu
  • Censorship:
    • Challenged in Spencer, Wisconsin because “it desensitizes children to crime related to witchcraft.”
    • 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.
  • Connections:
    • The protagonist’s two white mice are named William and Mary, the same as the (human) couple in “William and Mary”
  • 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

This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches.

Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There’s nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma’s stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!

Reviews

  • “The Boy Who Became a Mouse” by Erica Jong from November 13, 1983 edition of The New York Times – New York City, USA
  • “No black hats or broomsticks here” by Julian T. Martin from the July 15, 1984 issue of The Canberra Times – Canberra, Australia (read online)

Awards

  • New York Times Outstanding Books Award (USA 1983)
  • Whitbread Award (UK 1983)
  • Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award (UK 1983)

Articles

Criticism and Analysis

Fun Stuff

The Witches Quiz

Merchandise

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Bulgarian Covers – Вещиците

Catalan Covers – Les bruixes

Chinese Covers

Czech Covers – Čarodějnice

Dutch Covers – De heksen

Estonian Covers – Nõiad

French Covers – Sacrées Sorcières

German Covers – Hexen Hexen

Greek Covers – ΟΙ ΜΑΓΙΣΣΕΣ

Hebrew Covers

Hindi Covers

Korean Covers – 마녀를 잡아라

Lithuanian Covers – Raganos

Norwegian Covers – Heksene

Polish Covers – Wiedźmy

Russian Covers – Ведьмы

Serbian Covers – Ведьмы

Slovakian Covers – Čarodejnice

Spanish Covers – Las brujas

Vietnamese Covers – Phù Thủy, Phù Thủy

The Vicar of Nibbleswicke

Sections: Information | Description | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese Covers

Information

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

  • First editions:
    • Random Century, 1991, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement and published with a dust jacket priced at £6.99.
    • Viking, 1992, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a number line and published with a dust jacket priced at $12.50.
  • Written to benefit the Dyslexia Institute in London, England
  • Buy this book:

Description

“My name is Eel, Robert Eel. I am the new pastor of Nibbleswicke. Dog help me!”

“The Reverend Lee is worried about being in charge of his own parish for the first time. Will he be able to cope with all the responsibility of weddings, funerals, the choir, the bell-ringers and, above all, the sermons at Nibbleswicke? So worried is he that the dyslexia from which he suffered as a child comes back, in the form of a strange speech defect. He doesn’t realize he’s doing it, but key words come out of his mouth backwards, and thus, for example, he is apt to give his congregation ‘the blessing of Dog Almighty.’

The parishioners are amused and later shocked at the garbled messages coming from the pulpit until finally a cure is found: the Vicar of Nibbleswicke must walk backwards for the rest of his life.”

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Japanese Covers – ねぶそくの牧師さん

Korean Covers

Portuguese Covers – O Vigário de Mastigassilabas

The Twits

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Articles | Criticism and Analysis | Fun Stuff | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Afrikaans, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scots, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Welsh Covers

Information

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

  • First editions:
    • Jonathan Cape, 1980, UK.
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with no later printings listed underneath) and published with a dust jacket priced at £3.50.
    • Knopf, 1981, USA.
      • To identify: Used a number line and published with a dust jacket priced at $6.95.
  • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
  • Recent news: 
  • 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

How do you outwit a Twit?

Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, nastiest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything—except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they want revenge.

Reviews

Articles

Criticism and Analysis

Fun Stuff

The Twits Quiz

Apps

Merchandise

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Afrikaans Covers – Die Twakke

Bulgarian Covers – Семейство Тъпашки

Catalan Covers – Els culdolla

Chinese Covers – 壞心的夫妻消失了

Czech Covers – Prevítovi

Dutch Covers – De Griezels

Estonian Covers – Tohlamid

Finnish Covers – Nilviöt

French Covers – Les deux gredins

German Covers – Die Zwicks stehen kopf

Greek Covers – ΟΙ ΒΛΑΚΕΝΤΙΟΙ

Indonesian Covers

Italian Covers – Gli Sporcelli

Japanese Covers – アッホ夫婦

Korean Covers – 멍청씨 부부 이야기

Lithuanian Covers – Kvankos

Norwegian Covers – Dustene

Persian Covers – خانواده آقای ابله

Polish Covers – Fleje

Portuguese Covers – Os Tontos

Russian Covers – Свинтусы

Scots Covers – The Eejits

Slovakian Covers – Hastrošovci

Slovenian Covers – Gravža

Spanish Covers – Los cretinos

Swedish Covers – Herr och fru Slusk

Thai Covers – ฅนซื่อบื้อ

Turkish Covers – Los cretinos

Vietnamese Covers – Vợ Chồng Lão Twit

Welsh Covers – Y Twits

The Minpins

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Awards | Criticism and Analysis | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Chinese, French, Korean, Norwegian, Slovakian, and Spanish Covers

Information

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

  • 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

Little Billy strays into the forest, where he meets the Minpins–tiny people who live within the trees. The Minpins tell Billy about The Gruncher, who preys on them. So Billy embarks on a mission to rid the Minpins of their foe once and for all, and sets off–on the back of a swan–to confront The Gruncher.

Reviews

Awards

  • Winner, 1991 Redbook Children’s Picture Book Award
  • An American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”

Criticism and Analysis

Teacher Ideas

  • Billy and the Minpins – Lesson Plans
    • Get your class to think of ways to help Billy escape the Gruncher with the YPO lesson plans which include Art and Literacy Objectives on spoken language, imagining worlds and celebrating achievements.

Covers

Chinese Covers

French Covers – Les Minuscules

Korean Covers – 꼬마 빌리의 친구 민핀

Norwegian Covers – Bittesmäene

Slovakian Covers – Minpinkovia

Spanish Covers – Los mimpins

Matilda

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Awards | Articles | Criticism and Analysis |Fun Stuff | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Afrikaans, Arabic, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scots, Serbian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Welsh Covers

Information

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

  • 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

Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she’s just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It’ll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!

Reviews

Awards

  • Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award (UK 1988)
  • Voted “Nation’s Favorite Children’s Book” in BBC Bookworm Poll (UK 1998)

Articles

Criticism and Analysis

Fun Stuff

Matilda Quiz
Matilda Word Find
Matilda Word Find

Merchandise

Teacher Ideas

  • Matilda – Educators’ Guide
    • PDF guide for educators to using Matilda in the Classroom, including chapter-by-chapter lessons plans and tie-in to Broadway musical
  • Matilda – Lesson Plans
    • Several lesson plans for various chapters in the book, which develop various skills through wordplay, drama and many other methods
  • Matilda – Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary
    • Includes excerpt from the text and interactive worksheet
  • Matilda – Sorting Out Homophones
    • Lesson plan where students learn how to identify homophones in a reading passage and how to best use the Visual Thesaurus to help them decide on the appropriate homophones to complete quotations from the book
  • Quick Student Workbooks
    • Designed to get students thinking critically about the text they read and provide a guided study format to facilitate in improved learning and retention

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Afrikaans Covers – Matilda

Arabic Covers – ماتيلدا

Basque Covers – Matilda

Bulgarian Covers – Матилда

Catalan Covers – Matilda

Chinese Covers

Czech Covers – Matylda

Dutch Covers – Matilda

Estonian Covers – Matilda

French Covers – Matilda

German Covers – Matilda

Greek Covers – ΜΑΤΙΛΝΤΑ

Hindi Covers

Korean Covers – 마틸다

Lithuanian Covers – Matilda

Norwegian Covers – Matilda

Polish Covers – Matylda

Portuguese Covers – Matilda

Russian Covers – Матильда

Scots Covers – Matilda

Serbian Covers – Matilda

Slovakian Covers – Matilda

Spanish Covers – Matilda

Swedish Covers – Matilda

Turkish Covers – Matilda

Vietnamese Covers – Cô bé Matilda

Welsh Covers – Matilda

The Magic Finger

Sections: Information | Description | Fun Stuff | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Bulgarian, Dutch, French, Greek, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Slovakian, Spanish, and Vietnamese Covers

Information

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

  • First editions:
    • Harper & Row, 1966, USA.
      • Illustrated by: William Pene du Bois
      • To identify: The first state book has pictorial boards matching the rear picture of the dust jacket and a copyright page that was identical for a number of printings (later printings finally used green boards with darker quarter spine). The only way to identify a first print is if it has its original jacket with the original pricing of $2.50 (if a trade edition – and clipped at the bottom front flap) or $2.57 (if a HarperCrest Library edition – and clipped at the top front flap).
    • Allen & Unwin, 1968, UK.
      • Illustrated by: William Pene du Bois
      • To identify: Normal practice single statement (‘First published in Great Britain in’ followed by the date, no later dates or printing statements) and published without a price or a dust jacket. The pictorial boards are the same as the U.S. edition (i.e. matching the picture on the rear panel of the U.S. edition’s dust jacket.
  • Later editions:
    • Puffin, 1974, USA and UK.
      • Illustrated by: Pat Marriott
      • To identify: Used standard practice (‘First published’ followed by the date and a number line underneath) with 3 statements with the last being: ‘published by Puffin Books 1974’. Priced at 20p and $0.65.
    • Puffin, 1989.
      • Illustrated by: Tony Ross
      • To identify: Standard statement form with previous editions listed prior to the last being with new illustrations and copyright Tony Ross, 1989 under Dahl copyright of 1966. (See Richard’s site for more info.)
    • Unwin/Hyman, 1989, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Tony Ross
      • To identify: Used a number line and was published with a jacket
    • Viking, 1995.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a number line and came with either of two jackets and with or without the Viking logo on the spine.
  • 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

What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?

To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it’s just plain horrible. She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs only laugh at her. Then one day the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them. When she’s very, very angry, the little girl’s Magic Finger takes over. She really can’t control it, and now it’s turned the Greggs into birds! Before they know it, the Greggs are living in a nest, and that’s just the beginning of their problems…

Fun Stuff

Merchandise

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Bulgarian Covers – Вълшебният пръст

Dutch Covers – De tovervinger

French Covers – Le Doigt Magique

Greek Covers – ΤΟ ΜΑΓΙΚΟ ΔΑΧΤΥΛΟ

Korean Covers

Norwegian Covers – Den Magiske Fingeren

Russian Covers – Волшебный палец

Slovakian Covers – Zázračný prst

Spanish Covers – El Dedo Mágico

Vietnamese Covers – Ngón tay thần kỳ

James and the Giant Peach

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Awards | Criticism and Analysis | Fun Stuff  | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Afrikaans, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Welsh Covers

Information

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

  • First editions:
    • Knopf, 1961, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Nancy Ekholm Burkert
      • To identify: Five-line colophon found on the last printed page that includes the statements: Bound by H. Wolff Co. (later printings were bound by the Book Press) and underneath this: Paper supplied by P.H. Glatfelter, Spring Grove Pennsylvania. The boards are a deep red/maroon and the head is stained a peach/yellow color. The dust jacket is priced at $3.95 and does not have any SBN numbers on the right bottom of the rear panel. Note: there are more intricacies here which can be found on Richard’s site…
    • Allen & Unwin, 1967, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Michel Simeon
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published in Great Britain in’ followed by the date, no later dates or printing statements) and was published without pricing and no dust jacket.
  • Later editions:
    • Unwin/Hyman, 1990, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Emma Chichester Clark
      • To identify: After original publishing listing and twelfth print, a standard © statement for Clark illustrations 1990 was used. Published with a dust jacket priced at £8.95.
    • Viking, 1995, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a number line and was published with a jacket that was either not priced and without a Viking logo on the spine or a jacket with the logo on the spine and priced at £9.99.
    • Knopf, 1996, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Lane Smith
      • To identify: Used number line and published with a jacket priced at $16.00
    • Knopf, 2002, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a number line and published with a jacket but without a price.
  • Censorship:
    • Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (1991) because it is “not appropriate reading material for young children.”
    • Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word “ass” and “promotes” the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey.
    • Removed from classrooms in Stafford County, Va. Schools (1995) and placed in restricted access in the library because the story contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.
    • 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.
  • Recent news: 
  • 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

A little magic can take you a long way.

After James Henry Trotter’s parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun, until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it’s as big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends—Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!

Reviews

Awards

  • Massachusetts Children’s Award (USA 1982)

Criticism and Analysis

Fun Stuff

James and the Giant Peach Quiz

Merchandise

Sotheby’s Dahl Auction

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Afrikaans Covers – James en die reuseperske

Bulgarian Covers – Джеймс и гигантската праскова

Catalan Covers – James i el préssec gegant

Chinese Covers

Czech Covers – Jakub a obří broskev

Danish Covers – James og den store fersken

Dutch Covers – Beesten aan boord; De reuzenperzik

Estonian Covers – James ja hiigelvirsik

French Covers – James et la grosse pêche

German Covers – James und der Riesenpfirsich

Greek Covers – Ο ΤΖΙΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΓΙΓΑΝΤΟΡΟΔΑΚΙΝΟ

Korean Covers – 제임스와 슈퍼 복숭아 양장본

Lithuanian Covers – Džeimsas ir milžiniškas persikas

Norwegian Covers – Verdens Største Fersken

Polish Covers – James i ogromna brzoskwinia

Russian Covers – Джеймс и чудо-персик

Serbian Covers – Džejms i džinovska breskva

Slovakian Covers – Jakub a obrovská broskyňa

Spanish Covers – James y el melocotón gigante

Turkish Covers – Dev Şeftali

Vietnamese Covers – James Và Quả Đào Khổng Lồ

Welsh Covers – James A’r Eirinen Wlanog Enfawr

The Gremlins

Sections: Information | Description | Controversy | Fun Stuff | Covers | Advertisements | Comic Books

Information

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

  • Full title: Walt Disney: The Gremlins – A Royal Air Force Story by Flight Lieutenant Roald Dahl
  • Illustrated by: Disney Studios (aka Bill Justice, not credited)
  • First editions:
    • Random House, 1943, USA.
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First edition’ under the copyright information) and published with a jacket priced at $1.00
    • Collins, 1944?, UK.
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (copyright statement with date below, no later dates or printing statements indicated) and published without a price or jacket.
    • Ayres & James Sidney, 1994?, Australia.
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement and published with a price of 4/6
  • Previewed in:
  • Mentioned in:
  • 2006 reprint includes:
    • Introduction by Leonard Maltin, “The Gremlins Got ‘Em: How Walt Disney and Roald Dahl didn’t get to make a movie together”
  • Buy this book:

Description

The Gremlins was Dahl’s very first book for children. The story was originally intended for production as an animated film by Walt Disney, but the film was dropped before it was completed. Disney did, however, still publish the book that had been created as a tie-in with the movie’s release. Only around 50,000 copies were printed worldwide, therefore copies of it are extremely rare.

In 2006, Dark Horse Comics were able to secure the rights to The Gremlins from Disney to reprint the book. They also released a line of figurines and a sequel series of comic books. You can read more information about the revival here.

Controversy

During pre-production for the film, Disney was contacted by another RAF pilot, Douglas Bisgood, who claimed that Dahl had taken most of the Gremlin terminology from him without his permission. The two had met during Dahl’s journey to the US and had swapped stories of Gremlins onboard the ship. Bisgood claimed that “The names of Fifinella, Widget and Flippertygibbet are my own private property.” (Bisgood’s mother had gone by the nickname Fifinella within her family.) Rather than monetary compensation, Bisgood was keen to be credited in the film. Dahl and Disney tried to placate him by pointing out that all proceeds were being donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund, and in the end the film was never made anyway so Bisgood let the matter drop.

You can learn more about this issue and read some of the correspondence involved over at Mouseplanet.

Fun Stuff

Merchandise

  • Elsewhere on the web:
    • Blog post with lots of research from Wade Sampson at Mouseplanet 
    • Theory that Dahl was working as a British Secret Service spy when he wrote the story 
    • Falling Hare (watch online) and Russian Rhapsody (watch online), two Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Gremlins. (Disney asked them not to use “gremlins” in the titles.) 
  • Videos:

Covers

Advertisements

The Gremlins characters were extremely popular and featured in this 1943 advertisement for Life Savers candy:

GREMLIN CHASERS. You’ve heard of the Gremlins… pesky little troublemakers that hang around air fields… army camps… ports of call… and battle stations. One good antidote for Gremlins is LIFE SAVERS… they cheer a fellow up when the Gremlins get him down. Maybe that’s why our armed forces are ordering so many of them… so … if you have trouble getting some favorite flavor… blame it on the Gremlins.

Comic Books

The Walt Disney Company published several sequels in comic book form. These page are from a 1987 reprint by Gladstone Publishing Ltd. (Thank you to Marvin Winitz for tracking these down for me!)

In 2008, Dark Horse released a three-issue comic book series written by publisher Mike Richardson that took place in the modern world rather than World War II. (Issue 1|Issue 2|Issue 3) These were collected into a hardcover volume in 2015. You can read more these comic books here.

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

Sections: Information | Description | Awards | Fun Stuff | Teacher Ideas | Covers | Penguin Readers, Bulgarian, Chinese, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Slovakian, Spanish, and Vietnamese Covers

Information

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

  • First editions:
    • Jonathan Cape, 1985, UK.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with later printings stated underneath) and priced at £5.95 although not published with a dust jacket.
    • Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1985, USA.
      • Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
      • To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First Edition’ with date’ or ‘First American Edition’ with date, no later dates or printing statements) and priced at $11.95 although not published with a dust jacket.
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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

Who needs a ladder when you’ve got a giraffe with an extended neck?

The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company certainly doesn’t. They don’t need a pail, either, because they have a pelican with a bucket-sized beak. With a monkey to do the washing and Billy as their manager, this business is destined for success. Now they have their big break—a chance to clean all 677 windows of the Hampshire House, owned by the richest man in all of England! That’s exciting enough, but along the way there are surprises and adventures beyond their wildest window-washing dreams.

Awards

  • Kurt Maschler award runner–up (1985)

Fun Stuff

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me Quiz
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me Quiz

Merchandise

Teacher Ideas

Covers

Penguin Readers Covers

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.

Bulgarian Covers – Жирафът, пеликанът и аз

Chinese Covers

Dutch Covers – De Giraffe, de Peli en Ik

Estonian Covers – Kaelkirjak, pelku ja mina

French Covers – La girafe, le pélican et moi

German Covers – Die Giraffe, der Peli und ich

Greek Covers – Ο ΠΕΛΗΣ, Η ΠΑΡΔΑΛΗ ΚΙ ΕΓΩ

Japanese Covers

Korean Covers – 창문닦이 삼총사

Norwegian Covers – Sjiraffen og Pelli og jeg

Russian Covers – Жирафа, и Пелли, и я

Slovakian Covers – Žirafa, Pelly a ja

Spanish Covers – La jirafa, el pelicano y el mono

Vietnamese Covers – Hươu cao cổ, chim bồ nông và tôi