ROALD DAHL, born in 1916 in Wales, spent his childhood in England and later worked in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. After a war injury, he moved to Washington, D.C., and there he began to write. His first short story was published by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and distinguished career. ROALD DAHL became, quite simply, one of the best-loved children's book authors of all time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity and that of his books—Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Danny the Champion of the World, to name just a few—continues to grow.

QUENTIN BLAKE has illustrated most of Roald Dahl's children's books as well as many others. The first ever Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom, he is also a recipient of the Whitbread Award and the Kate Greenaway Medal.