D Is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl [Paperback]

Roald Dahl (Author), Wendy Cooling (Compiler), Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2007 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Did you know that Roald Dahl loved chocolate, but never ate spaghetti? Or that he was a terrible speller? Or that he had four sisters? D Is for Dahl is an A to Z collection of facts, trivia, and zany details that bring Roald Dahl and his memorable characters to life. Filled with Quentin Blake’s illustrations plus black-and-white photos, each spread is exploding with information about the creator of Willie Wonka, James, and Matilda—from his family tree to the exact type of pencil he used to write his stories. Perfect for devoted fans and Dahl newcomers alike, this is a gloriumptious guide to the world of Roald Dahl.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up–This dictionary-of-sorts is entertaining, insightful, and of particular interest to Dahl's fans. Front endpapers include a family tree, which is referred to numerous times in the text. While the information is alphabetically arranged, it's necessary to read the entire book to get the full story on the writer. For example, the entry Smile, please! reveals that photography was one of Dahl's hobbies. Recipes are interspersed, including those for creamy Kit Kat pudding and hot-house eggs. Q is represented by 26 questions with answers in alphabetical order. There's a section on Quentin Blake, and one about the Roald Dahl Foundation and Museum. The writing is clear, wicked, and fun. An occasional black-and-white photograph complements Blake's illustrations. Also included are Random Roald Fact boxes (he adored spiders) and Did You Know? frames (the longest ear hair recorded measures four inches). Swirly bordered warnings can also be helpful. Most discourage readers from attempting something Dahl did, like setting off a bag of fireworks or writing in the lawn with grass killer. There's much, much more. This is a standout tribute to a beloved children's author.–Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5---8. This book is an odd hybrid, and obviously a way to keep marketing Dahl after his death. Still, for the author's many fans it does have interesting, amusing, and, in some cases, surprising nuggets of information. The alphabetical arrangement both helps and hurts the discovery. For instance, after a fake-out "A is for . . . aardvark" ("Every A-Z must begin with an aardvark"), kids learn that at age eight, Dahl's adenoids were "sliced out" without anesthetic and that in 1938 Dahl journeyed to Africa to look for adventure. But instead of looking under a topic called, say, "Writing," kids will have to look under "Nitpicking" to learn that Dahl enjoyed research and was a poor speller. A family tree is helpful, but "Roald's Random Facts," which dot the pages, hardly seem necessary as "random facts" describes the whole book. Kids will be enticed by Blake's illustrations, many of them familiar, and also by the black-and-white photos, despite some rather pale reproductions. Dahl's books are often helpfully referenced in the individual notes. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142409340
• ISBN-13: 978-0142409343
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Blake, Quentin
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Literary
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( D ) > Dahl, Roald

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun new info on a great author, October 3, 2007

By 

Virginia Price (Mattoon, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D Is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl (Paperback)

This is a great review of Dahl's life and career in a really fun format that will make it fun for kids. By making it an "alphabet book" his life and times are peppered with bits from his books, funny words he invented, and lots of great illustration from Blake. I've been reading it just a bit at a time in order to savor it, because it's worth it. This is a must have for Dahl fans of any age.

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, May 25, 2009

By 

K. Wright "l hall" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: D Is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl (Paperback)

i loved the book because i learned a lot and i liked how it wasn't paragraph after paragraph and it was just plain facts. very organized.