Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. After school in England he went to work for Shell in Africa. He began to write after "a monumental bash on the head", sustained as an RAF pilot in World War II. Roald Dahl died in 1990.
K-Gr 2-- Little Billy, bored with being good, ignores his mother's admonition to stay out of The Forest of Sin where ``none come out, but many go in.'' He succumbs to the Devil's invitation to explore the forest for himself. All is well until the boy hears the alarming sounds of a fire-breathing monster headed right for him. Luckily he discovers a tree of convenient size where, on climbing to its upper branches, he finds a whole village of miniature people. The Minpins are also afraid of being gobbled up by the Red-Hot Smoke-Belching Gruncher. The lad devises a plan to do away with the terrifying beast and is promised nightly flights on the back of a swan by the grateful Minpins. No longer confined to his dull home, Little Billy now discovers a world of wonders. The only adult mentioned is the boy's insensitive, doltish mother, while the protagonist himself is admirable and enterprising, true to the author's form. Nonetheless, one senses something of a kinder, gentler Dahl, who nudges his readers to become observers, for ``the greatest secrets are always hidden in unlikely places.'' However, the religious overtones seem curiously out of place. Little Billy's name, too, may prove a bit precious for some readers. Benson's pen-and-ink crosshatched drawings with full-color washes are pleasing but not memorable, with the exception of the dramatic depictions of Billy and the swan. Although older readers will find the talepretty tame, the story-hour crowd may find it a pleasant diversion. --Phyllis G. Si dorsky, National Cathedral School, Washington, DC
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