JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. A Children's Story.

First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original illustrated laminated boards with black titles printed to the upper board and spine, without dustwrapper as issued. Illustrated with line drawings throughout by Michel Simeon. A near fine copy, the binding firm and slightly cocked, the cover artwork bright and fresh, lightly rubbed to the extremities, with a couple of small chips to the fragile laminate film at the spine, and just a little scuffing to the spine tips. The contents, with a touch of toning to the closed text block, are otherwise clean throughout, and without inscriptions or stamps.

An excellent example of a notoriously brittle production. The first British printing of this classic of children's literature and the first edition to feature illustrations by Michel Simeon, which remained the standard up until 1990. Quentin Blake first illustrated the book in 1995. The story was first published in America in 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf, with illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. It has been adapted many times, most notably for the 1996 musical feature film directed by Henry Selick and starring Paul Terry as James Henry Trotter, which is now considered a cult classic.