Citation: Dahl, R. (2007). James and the giant peach. Puffin Books. (Original work published 1961).
James lives with his evil aunts until he befriends the magical bugs inside a giant peach near his house. James and the bugs decide to cut the peach loose from the tree. It rolls down the hill and into the sky on an adventure that ends in New York.
It is appealing for its whimsical fantasy elements. It is similar to If We Were Gone (Coy, 2020) because of its focus on nature, including photosynthesis and the water cycle that makes this book similarly educational. Like many classic children’s books, there are some problematic elements, such as references to the bugs using drugs and potential racism. Overall, this is a charming book, but could be replaced by more diverse stories.
See our other review of James and the Giant Peach here!