Butterfingers
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Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from the gift edition of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory illustrated by Quentin Blake and with design and typography by Peter Campbell. The successful collaboration between Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake has played an important part in the popularity of Dahl’s work over the last fifteen years. Blake’s unmistakable artwork truly complements Dahl’s writing. His economical, amiable, illustrative style balances out Dahl’s often expansive language. And the liveliness, humour and pathos of the drawings offer a softer side to Dahl’s sometimes gloriously grotesque, sometimes cruel descriptions of his characters.
Thanks to Penguin Children’s Books for their help in producing this July cover which commemorates the thirty years anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s first UK publication.
Butterfingers
Quite subtle humour pervades the pages of this well-paced, enjoyable yarn. Stock comic characters and situations are given new twists, including the gourmet, man-mountain thug with no brain and the foul-mouthed ex-music hall parrot! The hero's pal being called Vera because his surname is Lynn is also a good wheeze. Non-sporty boys will identify with Theo's fear when he has to face cricket balls bowled by the fierce Meltzer. Deliverance comes in the form of a bash on the bonce, rendering Theo unconscious but setting off a train of challenging, manic action that requires masses of tenacity and true manly pluck.

