Reviews for Charlie and the chocolate factory
School Library Journal
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Gr 3-6-Who doesn't know Dahl's story of poverty-stricken little Charlie Bucket who finds one of Willie Wonka's golden tickets and, along with four other children, gets a tour of his amazing chocolate factory? Each of the other children demonstrates a common childhood failing, to extreme-gluttony, greediness, excessive gum-chewing, and TV addiction. As, one by one, they fall prey to the factory's enticements, soon only Charlie is left and he gets the ultimate prize. What's not to love in a story that circles around niceness and chocolate? Listeners will find themselves once again rooting for Charlie as Douglas Hodge performs the book with vim, vigor, tons of expression, and the occasional sound effect. This is a joyous leap into a childhood classic that both children and adults will enjoy.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly
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In a sublime bit of casting, comedic actor Idle delivers an inspired rendition of Dahl's classic novel, available for the first time as an unabridged recording (an abridged Caedmon edition, read by Dahl, was released in the 1970s). Using expert timing and a seemingly strong familiarity with the material, Idle wrings every note of humor from the author's colorful behind-the-scenes look at Willy Wonka's world-famous chocolate factory. During the course of a factory tour (whose participants were determined by a contest), honest, humble Charlie Bucket beats out four bratty, selfish children to become the heir to Wonka's wonderland. Readers new to Dahl, as well as longstanding admirers of the book or even the feature film starring Gene Wilder, will not want to miss Idle's interpretation of Wonka's whirlwind energy and "high and flutey" voice. Ages 6-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Blakes energetic black-and-white illustrations enliven and update Dahls cautionary rags-to-riches story, where impoverished, unassuming little Charlie Bucket outlasts the selfish other four candidates to win the grand prize: Willy Wonkas chocolate factory. The slapdash effect of the whimsical drawings matches Wonkas hyperactive speech and the generally frenetic narrative. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
*Starred Review* No single title is more associated with Dahl than this one funny, then, that the iconic 1971 film version changed it to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Regrettable episode of fat-shaming aside (Augustus Gloop's reviled gluttony is wince-worthy), Dahl's classic-of-classics holds up tremendously well, with hairpin swerves and bizarro details turning each page into a wonder of idiosyncratic absurdity. For you poor saps who don't know the story, it stars hand-to-mouth ragamuffin Charlie Bucket, who beats stratospheric odds by finding one of the five Golden Tickets hidden inside Willy Wonka candy bars. The five finders are awarded with a lifetime candy supply and a tour of Wonka's chocolate factory led by the mad genius himself, who hasn't been seen in 10 years. Wonka is a uproarious character sharpened by a subtle, maniacal glee: his monolithic paragraphs of exclamation-pointed dialogue is simply too verbose for comfort. Meanwhile, the winning kids the aforementioned Gloop, the spoiled Veruca Salt, the gum-smacking Violet Beauregarde, the screen-obsessed Mike Teavee are roundly grotesque, and their rotten habits lead them to grotesque ends. (Who doesn't shudder when the Oompa-Loompas cart off the blueberry-inflated Violet to the Juicing Room?) Charlie is a dull goody-goody, of course, but he's just the boat in which we ride through this particular fun house, which is every bit as giddily subversive as it was 52 years ago.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2016 Booklist
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
This fortieth anniversary edition is a larger-format version of the 2001 edition illustrated by Quentin Blake. The trim size--closer to a picture book than a novel--and the addition of color to the illustrations make this volume more suitable as a lap-sharing read-aloud. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly
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On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, illus. by Quentin Blake, presents the famous story interspersed with Blake's characteristically frenetic line drawings, with clusters of candy sprinkled across the pages. Pink, lavender, baby blue and yellow backgrounds of the pages make a sugary new wrapper for this favorite tale. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
