Book Review: Roald Dahl's George's Marvelous Medicine

George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin Books, New York, 1981.
This book should come with some warnings.  You usually don't play with chemicals such as these, and get away with any kind of a positive result.  Even if you want to get even with your cantankerous grandmother.  This book is about a medicine which makes things grow, but cannot be duplicated.  

Book Review: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Charlie and the Great glass Elevator, by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1972.
This is the continue sage of Charlie and the Chocolate factory.  Where do our eight persons go after being picked up by the elevator, Charlie's parents, grandparents, Charlie and Mr. Wonka.  They of course travel to space to the new U.S. Space Hotel.  However at the hotel the meet pernicious knids.  The barely escape with their lives.
This is a cute story.  It gets really exciting when Mr. Wonka is battling against the knids.  This is a strange being that likes to eat others.  They are lucky the elevator is knid proof, otherwise they had been goners.  In all this fuss, Wonka and the elevator have to rescue a ship traveling to the hotel with guests.  It seems pretty dicey for a moment.
A cute theme is, can Willy Wonka get the three grandparents out of bed so they can help Charlie in the Chocolate factory.  They don't want to.
There is a part of this book that paints Dahl in a negative light.  This is when he is making fun of Chinese in the voice of the U.S. president.  He makes a couple jokes at the expense of the Chinese.

Children's LIterature: The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

The Magic finger by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin Books (Penguin Books), London, 1964.

This is a cute short story with the theme of putting ourselves in someone else's shoes.  In this case, a family is turned into duck, while the ducks take over their home, after they get carried away with their hunting.  This could be considered an anti-hunting book, but I interpret it to be not getting over ambitious, but to do things in moderation.  I probably have it wrong, but I think people should be able to hunt in its proper place.

Picture Book Review: Great Day for Up

Great Day for UP, Dr. Seuss, pictures by Quentin Blake, Random House, New York, 1974.
In this book Dr. Seuss comments on the many, many reasons to get up, baseballs, kites, footballs.  Everything should be up, feet, hands, roosters, hens, worms, boys and girls.  There are many things to go up ladders, stairs, hills, mountains, giraffes and roller coasters.

Book Review: The BFG, Roald Dahl

The BFGm Roald Dahl, illustrations Quentin Blake, Puffin Books, London, 1982.
This is a fascinating tale, and in many ways better than the movie.  What is a giant to do when spied by a child; take her with him of course and never let her leave.  Of course even though you are a vegetarian giant, all those around you are not, and the girl will eventually get eaten by one of the other giants.  But what alternative is there.  One of the cutest parts of this book is the language of the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) and how he confuses words, (like human bean for human being) but you can still understand what he is saying.  Also the play on words in the selecting of their lunch, but you just have to read the book to understand this one.  Meeting the Queen is also interesting.  I think I like the movie with this regards, and the effect of the fizzy frobscottle is much more funny in the movie.