JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961. First issue. Near fine in very good plus jacket.. Signed first edition of one of Dahl's best children's books: characteristically bizarre, wicked, and heart-warming. When Dahl published his first book for children with Disney, GREMLINS (1943), he believed it was a happy one-off and focused instead on developing his career as a writer for adults. Nearly two decades later, Dahl published JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH as his second children's book, finally moving into the field where his writing would develop into a powerful legacy. The darkness of Dahl's worlds for children have often been objected to by adults - this book regularly features on lists of banned or challenged books in American libraries - but for many children, it is the spark of fantasy within bleak settings that appeals to the imagination without becoming saccharine: Tim Burton famously told Dahl's widow he wanted to turn JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH into a film because "it's the only book that ever gave me any hope when I was a child" (D IS FOR DAHL). Increasingly scarce signed by Dahl. 10'' x 6.75''. Original full blind-stamped red cloth, gilt-lettered spine. In original unclipped ($3.95) pictorial dust jacket. Green endpapers, yellow topstain. Illustrated by Burkert throughout in full color, red and black, and black and white. Wolff credited as binder in 5-line colophon. [8], 119, [1] pages. Signed by Dahl in blue ink on front endpaper. Book a trifle dusty. Jacket with light edgewear, a few short closed tears, slightly faded spine. Bright.