James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - Book Review

While “James and the Giant Peach” starts off on a rather tragic note, Roald Dahl manages to captivate us on an exciting adventure filled with humor.

After James’ parents die a tragic death at the hands of an angry rhinoceros, which gobbles them up, James is forced to live with his two mean aunts.

James is not only struck by sadness at his parents’ death but is also is engulfed with misery at the cruel and uncaring nature of his aunts. After three years, James becomes the saddest and loneliest boy you could find, until he encounters a wise old man who gives him magic crystals that he promises will relieve him from his misery forever.

However, James accidentally drops these crystals onto his aunts’ peach tree. Although he was saddened at the thought that he had to bid his trip to happiness farewell, something mysterious occurs. The peach tree starts to grow only one peach that keeps on getting bigger in size until it’s big enough for him to enter.

Once James sets foot inside the peach, the adventure starts to unfold as he encounters magical creatures. They then all set off onto an adventure that fills his life with laughter, friendship and a whole lot of excitement.

As the wise man had promised, James never felt miserable again and had the chance to get away from his mean, old aunts. Furthermore, he was able to go on a magical journey that takes him and his friends to New York.

This book is not only a joy to read for children but also a delight for parents who take on the task of reading to their little ones. It is also a great, easy read for children who want to start becoming independent readers, as it is warm, engaging and will be a great book to get them to love reading.