The Minpins

Roald Dahl (author)

Patrick Benson (illustrator)

Jonathon Cape, UK: 1991; 47pp

ISBN: 0224028995

Genres: adventure, fantasy, humour

extension vocabulary

Little Billy is always good. He never disobeys his mother and never does any of the things that he is not allowed to do. Until one day a voice whispers in his ear, telling him about the marvels of the nearby Forest of Sin - where none come out, but many go in!

Having climbed through the window and run into the forest, Billy finds it is just as beautiful as he thought it would be – until the Red-Hot Smoke-Belching Gruncher starts chasing him. The best part of the adventure is yet to come, however. As he climbs a tree to escape the monster, Little Billy discovers the Minpins, the tiny people who live in the forest.

Roald Dahl's final work for children is perhaps one of his most compelling and appealing pieces of writing. This is a charming tale from a master writer, full of all the best kind of Dahlisms – wonderful names, curious characters, wildly imaginative adventures. The wonderful gift of the book, however, is the way in which Patrick Benson has made his illustrations such an integral part of the narrative. Clearly-coloured pen and wash drawings, full-page and sometimes double page, bring the Minpins and their world into hugely detailed life. The pictures, as much as the text, are made for reading and discussion. The combination is huge treat for children – I have yet to find one who doesn't fall in love with it.

Same Author: James and the Giant Peach; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Fantastic Mr Fox; The Magic Finger; The BFG