Think of your favourite Roald Dahl moment and surely a song or verse cannot be far away… SONGS AND VERSE has seven sections bursting with rhymes about monsters, magical creatures, gruesome children, ghastly adults as well as a few unusual surprises. From the strange and scrumptious dishes enjoyed by James’s Centipede to George and his marvellous medicine, and from greedy Augustus Gloop to the Giraffe and the Pelly and Me there are many classics here together with some previously unpublished treats. With a foreword and opening illustrations by Quentin Blake, and illustrations throughout from other award-winning artists such as Babette Cole, Lauren Child, Chris Riddell, Alel Scheffler and Tony Ross, you will find a touch of magic on every page.
Roald Dahl is best remembered as the author of many well-loved children’s stories. But he was also the creator of some astonishingly imaginative, outrageous, and wonderfully disgusting verses. From oozing grobes to slimy slugs, this extraordinary collection is bursting with Dahl’s poems, verses, and songs. And with full-color original illustrations from a distinguished group of more than twenty artists, including Quentin Blake, William Joyce, and Lane Smith, this lavish volume is a must-have for any Dahl fan’s library.
To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with later printings stated underneath) and published with a dust jacket priced at £7.95.
Viking, 1990, USA.
Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
To identify: Used a number line and published with a dust jacket priced at $14.95.
Rhyme Stew read by Derek Griffiths and Julie Dawn Cole
Buy this book:
Important note: From 2022 onwards, Puffin has edited selected Dahl books to remove sensitive language and insert new sentences not written by Dahl. If you would prefer to read the original text, ensure you get a copy published before 2022 or one of the “Classic Collection” published by Penguin.
Description
A collection of ribald rhymes featuring characters from fairy tales,fables and nursery rhymes, as you’ve never seen them before! From the tortoise and the hare and Hansel and Gretel to Ali Baba and Aladdin, these traditional stories will never seem the same again once you have had a taste of Roald Dahl’s hilarious verse and Quentin Blake’s suitably lively illustrations.
To identify: Used a standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with later printings stated underneath) and published without a dust jacket and priced at £3.95
Knopf, 1983, USA.
Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
To identify: Used a number line and was published with a dust jacket priced at $9.95.
Important note: From 2022 onwards, Puffin has edited selected Dahl books to remove sensitive language and insert new sentences not written by Dahl. If you would prefer to read the original text, ensure you get a copy published before 2022 or one of the “Classic Collection” published by Penguin.
Description
Did you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, or that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again! Master storyteller Roald Dahl adds his own darkly comic twists to six favorite tales, complete with rambunctious rhymes and hilarious surprise endings.
Reviews
“Nursery Satire” by Ralph Elliott from the August 28, 1982 issue of The Canberra Times – Canberra, Australia (read online)
Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. Simplified story texts are combined with beautiful original illustrations for students aged 7 and above.
Penguin, 2024
Afrikaans Covers – Vreeslike versies
Proteaboekhuis, 2000
Dutch Covers – Gruwelijke rijmen
Uitgeverij De Fontein, 2017
French Covers – Un conte peut en cacher un autre
Gallimard
Gallimard, 2003
Gallimard, 2012
Gallimard, 2014
Japanese Covers – へそまがり昔ばなし
Korean Covers
Baeteul, 2010
Norwegian Covers – Ramperim og ville vers
Spanish Covers – Cuentos en verso para niños perversos
To identify: Used standard single statement (‘First published’ followed by the date with later printings stated underneath) and published without a dust jacket and no pricing
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983, USA.
Illustrated by: Rosemary Fawcett
To identify: Used a First Edition statement and a jacket priced at $11.95
Later editions:
Jonathan Cape, 1984, UK.
Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
To identify: Lists both prior printings of Fawcett illustrations and then the statement ‘This edition with new illustrations published 1984’
Important note: From 2022 onwards, Puffin has edited selected Dahl books to remove sensitive language and insert new sentences not written by Dahl. If you would prefer to read the original text, ensure you get a copy published before 2022 or one of the “Classic Collection” published by Penguin.
Description
Roald Dahl’s inimitable style and humor shine in this collection of poems about mischievous and mysterious animals. From Stingaling the scorpion to Crocky-Wock the crocodile, Dahl’s animals are nothing short of ridiculous. A clever pig with an unmentionable plan to save his own bacon and an anteater with an unusually large appetite are among the characters created by Dahl in these timeless rhymes. This new, larger edition is perfect for reading aloud and makes Quentin Blake’s celebrated illustrations even more enjoyable.
Reviews
“Picture books to treasure” by Laurie Copping from the March 16, 1985 issue of The Canberra Times – Canberra, Australia (read online)
