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One of Dahl's beloved stories available for the first time in novel format and newly illustrated by Quentin Blake! Billy's mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the dark forest beyond. So, one day, he does exactly that! There Billy meets the amazing Minpins, tiny people who live inside the hollow trees. But the Minpins are in danger. The terrible, galloping Gruncher stalks the forest, and the Minpins are disappearing in their thousands. Can Billy find a way to destroy the hungry beast, once and for all—or will it gobble him up too? Illustrated by Quentin Blake for the first time, Billy and the Minpins is a new interpretation of Roald Dahl's very last story (originally published in 1991) and marks nearly forty years of their magical collaboration.
One of Dahl's beloved stories available for the first time in novel format and newly illustrated by Quentin Blake! Billy's mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the dark forest beyond. So, one day, he does exactly that! There Billy meets the amazing Minpins, tiny people who live inside the hollow trees. But the Minpins are in danger. The terrible, galloping Gruncher stalks the forest, and the Minpins are disappearing in their thousands. Can Billy find a way to destroy the hungry beast, once and for all—or will it gobble him up too? Illustrated by Quentin Blake for the first time, Billy and the Minpins is a new interpretation of Roald Dahl's very last story (originally published in 1991) and marks nearly forty years of their magical collaboration.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Excerpts-
From the bookBeing Good
Little Billy’s mother was always telling him exactly what he was allowed to do and what he was notallowed to do.
All the things he was allowed to do were boring.All the things he was not allowed to do were exciting.
One of the things he was NEVER NEVER allowed to do, the most exciting of them all, wasto go out through the garden gate all by himself and explore the world beyond.
On this sunny summer afternoon, Little Billy was kneeling on a chair in the living room, gazing out through the window at the wonderful world beyond. His mother was in the kitchen doing the ironing and although the door was open shecouldn’t see him.
Every now and again his mother would callout to him, saying, “Little Billy, what are you up to in there?”
And Little Billy would always call back and say,“I’m being good, Mummy.”
But Little Billy was awfully tired of being good.
Through the window, not so very far away, he could see the big black secret wood that was called The Forest of Sin. It was something he had always longed to explore. His mother had told him that even grown-ups were frightened of going into The Forest of Sin.
She recited a poem to him that was well known in the district. It went like this:
Beware! Beware! The Forest of Sin! None come out, but many go in!
“Why don’t they come out?” Little Billy asked her. “What happens to them in the wood?”
“That wood,” his mother said, “is full of the most bloodthirsty wild beasts in the world.”
“You mean tigers and lions?” Little Billy asked.
“Much worse than that,” his mother said.
“What’s worse than tigers and lions, Mummy?”
“Whangdoodles are worse,” his mother said, “and Hornswogglers and Snozzwanglers and Vermicious Knids.
“And worst of all is the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Stonechuckling Spittler. There’s one of them in there, too.”
“A Spittler, Mummy?”
“Of course. And when the Spittler chases after you, he blows clouds of hot smoke out of hisnose.”
“Would he eat me up?” Little Billy asked.
“In one gulp,” his mother said.
Little Billy did not believe a word of this. He guessed his mother was making it all up just tofrighten him and stop him ever going out of thehouse alone.
And now Little Billy was kneeling on the chair, gazing with longing through the window at the famous Forest of Sin.
“Little Billy,” his mother called out from thekitchen. “What are you doing?”
“I’m being good, Mummy,” Little Billy called back.
Just then a funny thing happened. Little Billy began to hear somebody whispering in his ear. He knew exactly who it was. It was the Devil. The Devil always started whispering to him when hewas especially bored.
“It would be easy,” the Devil was whispering,“to climb out through that window. No one would see you. And in a jiffy you would be in the garden, and in another jiffy you would be through the front gate, and in yet another jiffy you would be exploring the marvelous Forest of Sin all by yourself. It is a super place. Do not believe one word of what your mother says about Whangdoodles and Hornswogglers and Snozzwanglersand Vermicious Knids and the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Stonechuckling Spittler. There are no such things.”
“What is in there?” Little Billy...
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