Roald Dahl’s Billy and the Minpins

Children’s books are so special. I read with my children every night and I enjoy choosing books as much as they do. My 7 year old loves Roald Dahl so we were delighted to receive a copy of Billy and the Minpins, which we had never read before.

Billy and the Minpins is a new interpretation of Roald Dahl’s very last story and for the first time has been illustrated by the wonderful Quentin Blake. This means that fans will be able to complete their collections in time for Roald Dahl Day 2017 – celebrated annually on 13th September.

Publishing in a striking hardback edition featuring Quentin’s iconic black-and-white illustrations, the book has a ‘new’ title. Billy and the Minpins was a title Roald himself contemplated in an early draft of his story. This title celebrates Billy as one of Roald Dahl’s iconic child heroes alongside Charlie, James, Sophie, George, Danny and Matilda.

Billy and the Minpins is the story of heroic Billy, who saves the Minpins – tiny tree-dwelling people whose
children are the size of matchsticks – from the fearsome Gruncher. It explores themes seen in many of Roald
Dahl’s other much-loved children’s novels: small people living in a big world; the glory of flight; confronting
demons and, most importantly, the child hero. Billy’s story is less well-known than other Roald Dahl tales,
and this new version will delight and surprise even the most avid Roald Dahl readers – but it does feature one
of the author’s most famous lines: ‘And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you
because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic
will never find it.’

The Minpins was first published in 1991, illustrated by Patrick Benson in a beautiful colour picture-book
format. This edition is still in print today and will sit alongside the new black-and-white edition,
Billy and The Minpins.

My son was pretty excited to receive a new book to read and we devoured this in a couple of nights. The illustrations are perfect and there are lots of them, which perfectly bring the story to life.

Quentin Blake said: ‘I was delighted to be asked to illustrate Roald’s Billy and the Minpins; it feels like the
cornerstone in our long collaboration together. As Roald’s parting gift, Patrick Benson’s illustrations in the
original edition were perfectly suited to the lyrical feel of The Minpins. I have always greatly admired
Patrick’s artwork and am so pleased both books will sit alongside each other, reaching fans of all ages.
This new edition has nearly fifty pages of black-and-white drawings, which meant I could enjoy myself
tremendously as I went into all the details of Billy’s exploits and adventures with the Minpins in the
mysterious forest!’

Billy and The Minpins is published by Penguin Random House on September 7th 2017 – thank you for an advance copy!

You may also be interested in our other Roald Dahl posts:
Win a Splendiferous Summer With Mr Kipling
Celebrating Roald Dahl Day 2016
The Gloriumptious Worlds of Roald Dahl
Exploring The BFG Dream Jar Trail in London
The BFG’s Grobswitchy cake
Recipe for The BFG’s Frobscottle drink
The best crafts for kids to celebrate Roald Dahl’s The BFG
Make an edible Mr Twits gingerbeard biscuit
15 crafts for celebrating Roald Dahl Day
George’s Marvellous Medicine mud kitchen activity
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired chocolate play dough
Roald Dahl stamps
BFG The Movie DVD (2012) review