An orphan. A bleak life controlled by ghastly grown ups. A fantastical adventure with a rich supporting cast. These are a few of the commonalities between Roald Dahl’s classic James and the Giant Peach and Jonathan Auxier’s newer Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. 

Readers know Dahl for his dark humor and bizarre scenarios. In James, we meet a boy who was orphaned after his parents were trampled by rhinoceroses. His Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge became his guardians and have made his life wretched ever since. After magical beans grow a gigantic peach in his backyard, James begins a magical journey with a handful of human-sized bugs who were also magically transformed.

Auxier’s style draws much from Dahl’s, and in Peter, we also find similarities to Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Peter is captive in a life of thievery, enslaved by a cruel master. To add to his woes, Peter is blind, though ironically it is his blindness that makes him a master thief. After he steals a box of magic eyes, Peter is transported to faraway lands and introduced to characters and creatures of all types in an action-filled adventure.

Fans of James and the Giant Peach might give Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes a try. A word of caution: both books could frighten sensitive children. Due to its length, content, and intensity, Peter is for the older reader. I would recommend James for children ages 6-12 (note the reading level is fourth grade, but younger readers may still enjoy the story if read aloud). I would recommend Peter for children ages 10-14 (reading level is sixth grade).