Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 5---8. This book is an odd hybrid, and obviously a way to keep marketing Dahl after his death. Still, for the author's many fans it does have interesting, amusing, and, in some cases, surprising nuggets of information. The alphabetical arrangement both helps and hurts the discovery. For instance, after a fake-out A is for . . . aardvark (Every A-Z must begin with an aardvark ), kids learn that at age eight, Dahl's adenoids were sliced out without anesthetic and that in 1938 Dahl journeyed to Africa to look for adventure. But instead of looking under a topic called, say, Writing, kids will have to look under Nitpicking to learn that Dahl enjoyed research and was a poor speller. A family tree is helpful, but Roald's Random Facts, which dot the pages, hardly seem necessary as random facts describes the whole book. Kids will be enticed by Blake's illustrations, many of them familiar, and also by the black-and-white photos, despite some rather pale reproductions. Dahl's books are often helpfully referenced in the individual notes. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Roald Dahl fans young and old will clamor for D Is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl, ed. by Wendy Cooling, illus. by Quentin Blake. Organized like an encyclopedia but under hilarious entries, the volume begins with "Alfhild" ("Alf was Roald Dahl's big sister.... Here are some of the unusual things she did: she smoked cigars, drank champagne out of her shoe..."), pauses for two spreads on "Blake, Quentin," Dahl's longtime collaborator, pays homage to the "characters with no name" in The Witches and The Magic Finger, sports "Random Roald Facts," devotes three pages to a "Quiz" in "Q," and winds down with "Zippfizzing" (from The BFG) and "Zoo," paying homage to James (of Giant Peach fame). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up-This dictionary-of-sorts is entertaining, insightful, and of particular interest to Dahl's fans. Front endpapers include a family tree, which is referred to numerous times in the text. While the information is alphabetically arranged, it's necessary to read the entire book to get the full story on the writer. For example, the entry "Smile, please!" reveals that photography was one of Dahl's hobbies. Recipes are interspersed, including those for creamy Kit Kat pudding and hot-house eggs. "Q" is represented by 26 questions with answers in alphabetical order. There's a section on Quentin Blake, and one about the Roald Dahl Foundation and Museum. The writing is clear, wicked, and fun. An occasional black-and-white photograph complements Blake's illustrations. Also included are "Random Roald Fact" boxes (he adored spiders) and "Did You Know?" frames (the longest ear hair recorded measures four inches). Swirly bordered warnings can also be helpful. Most discourage readers from attempting something Dahl did, like setting off a bag of fireworks or writing in the lawn with grass killer. There's much, much more. This is a standout tribute to a beloved children's author.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Brimming with facts about Roald Dahl arranged in alphabetical order, this compact compendium is likely to please and surprise fans. Blake's delightfully dizzy line drawings, as well as some black-and-white photos, illustrate the collection of random (but often interesting) information. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
