This may be the perfect read-aloud chapter book. It is terribly funny. There are lots of pictures and they are great (nothing against Quentin Blake, but I suggest sticking with the original illustrator). The characters are a hoot. The candy creativity is off the charts. The author is beautifully off his rocker.
But the best part of all is simply reading it aloud. I had never realized how the language sings.
Caveat: While Charlie does quite well for a Dahl protagonist (sure, he nearly starves to death, but he is loved by his family–and for Dahl this is really quite a good start in life–which is more horrifying the more I think about it), terrible things do happen to other children and we are encouraged to react with unadulterated schadenfreude). Like all Dahl books, I suggest you read it alone first. And the movies are much less fun.
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Joseph Schindelman
