Bit worn but readable with different illustrations.
James & The Giant Peach is a children's novel written by British author Roald Dahl. It was first published in 1961 and has since become a classic of children's literature. The story revolves around James Henry Trotter, a young orphan who is forced to live with his mean and cruel aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, after his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros that escaped from the London Zoo.
Life with his aunts is miserable for James, who is constantly mistreated and forced to do all the housework. One day, a mysterious old man gives James a bag of magical green "crocodile tongues" and tells him that they will bring him happiness. Excited and hopeful, James accidentally spills the crocodile tongues near a leafless peach tree in the garden, where they are magically absorbed by the roots.
Soon, a single peach begins to grow on the tree, growing bigger and bigger until it becomes the size of a house. James discovers a hidden entrance into the peach and finds that it is inhabited by a group of large and talking insects: Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, Ladybug, Glowworm, and Spider. They invite James to join them on their adventure inside the peach, and together they roll it off its stem and begin a journey to New York City.
As the peach rolls through the countryside, it encounters various obstacles and adventures, including escaping hungry sharks, battling mechanical sharks made by Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, and flying through the sky with the help of seagulls. During their journey, James and his newfound insect friends develop deep friendships and learn valuable life lessons about courage, friendship, and the power of dreams.
Ultimately, they arrive in New York City and James becomes a hero when the giant peach lands on top of the Empire State Building. The book ends with James and the insects being celebrated by the people of New York City while James reflects on finding a new family who will love and care for him.
James & The Giant Peach is widely praised for its imaginative storytelling, memorable characters, and themes of resilience and overcoming adversity. It has been adapted into multiple forms of media, including a popular film version in 1996 directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton.
