Billy and the Minpins

by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

A BRAND-NEW EDITION, ILLUSTRATED IN GLORIOUS FULL COLOUR BY QUENTIN BLAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Billy's mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the dark forest beyond. So, one day, that's exactly what he does! There he meets the Minpins, tiny tree-dwelling people whose children are the size of matchsticks. They live in fear of the terrible, galloping GRUNCHER. Will it gobble Billy too - or can he find a way to defeat the hungry beast?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Classics

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 1991

About the author

Roald Dahl was a beloved British author, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot, best known for his enchanting and often darkly humorous children's books that have captivated generations of readers around the world. Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl led a life marked by adventure, tragedy, creativity, and enduring literary success. His vivid imagination and distinctive storytelling style have made him one of the most celebrated children's authors in modern literature.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.

Reviews

[Ruby Granger]

Another book for my children's writing module -- which I somehow never read?? The storyline was a bit all over-the-place, but I can imagine it being an exciting one for kids.

[Emily B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up.
This short Audiobook was read by Bill Bailey which was great! However the story wasn’t as great. Definitely quintessentially Dahl but very similar to his other stories.

[Suhailah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is a minpin you ask?

They are tiny tree-dwelling people living in the forest.

This is another cute and magical Roald Dahl story. It gave me tons of flashbacks from The BFG. The narrator was even the same! Roald Dahl definitely has a theme. Creative fictional words galore. Children facing terrifying things. Did this really deserve 5 ☆? It was the shortest work I’ve read of Roald Dahl’s. So probably not, but I just couldn’t help myself. It made me smile.

If I find myself in a forest, I’ll think about the Minpins. When I see birds flying, I’ll watch and wonder if I’ll catch a glimpse of a Minpin using it for transport. I’ll even check around for their little suction boots!

I’ll admit it was pretty challenging to locate the right book published during my birth year to meet one of my Monster Mash challenges. This one was a perfect choice! Can’t ever go wrong with Roald Dahl!

2024 Monster Mash Challenge Met:
|Pennywise Category|
◇ Read a book from the year you were born. ✔️

“ᴬⁿᵈ ᵃᵇᵒᵛᵉ ᵃˡˡ, ʷᵃᵗᶜʰ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵍˡⁱᵗᵗᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵉʸᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉ ʷʰᵒˡᵉ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ ᵃʳᵒᵘⁿᵈ ʸᵒᵘ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍʳᵉᵃᵗᵉˢᵗ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵃˡʷᵃʸˢ ʰⁱᵈᵈᵉⁿ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵘⁿˡⁱᵏᵉˡʸ ᵖˡᵃᶜᵉˢ. ᵀʰᵒˢᵉ ʷʰᵒ ᵈᵒⁿ’ᵗ ⁱⁿ ᵐᵃᵍⁱᶜ ʷⁱˡˡ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᶠⁱⁿᵈ ⁱᵗ.”

[ܻ⨍ꫀׁׅܻ݊ꭈׁׅꫀׁׅܻׅ݊꯱hׁׅ֮tׁׅꫀׁׅܻ݊ · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از علایق من خوندن کتاب های کودکانه هست این کتاب رو برای خواهرزاده هشت سالم خریدم و خودمم خوندمش،داستان در مورد پسری به نام بیلی هست که یک روز از پنجره به جنگل زل زده بود و به گفته های مادرش در مورد موجودات خطرناک جنگل فکر می کرد که ناگهان تصمیم می گیره راهی این ماجراجویی بشه و توی جنگل با آدم کوچولوها مواجه میشه و .... داستان خیلی قشنگی بود و شیرین ،و فکر میکنم برای بچه ها خیلی دوست داشتنی بشه همونطوری که برای من به عنوان یک بزرگسال خیلی دوست داشتنی بود،اون نافرمانی و فضولی ای که همه بچه ها دارن و دلشون میخواد که گاهی به حرف مادرشون گوش ندن و اون ماجراجویی موجودات عجیب و غریب دوستی با حیوانات ،رفتن به دنیای آدم کوچولوها و حتی حل کردن مشکلات اون ها و نقش قهرمان رو پیدا کردن و عنصر خیال داستان و تشویق کردن بچه ها به باور کردن معجزات همشون خیلی زیبا بودن و خیلی پیشنهادش می کنم⁦ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ⁩

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you see a beautiful dark forest beyond your garden gate...could you leave the majestic wonder unexplored?

"All the things he was allowed to do were boring. All the things he was not allowed to do were exciting."

Billy's mom always warned him to stay in the garden but one day, Billy just can't help himself. The dark forest is so inviting and who knows what he could find out there.

"...little Billy was awfully tied of being good."

Just a few steps into the forest, he meets the Minpins. They are a clever little race of people who live in hollowed trees but they are in grave danger.

A Gruncher lives in the forest and Minpins are disappearing left and right. Will Billy be able to save the remaining people? Or will this magical world be lost forever?

This was an extremely enjoyable to read!

I picked up the version illustrated by Patrick Benson and while I do adore all of Quentin Blake's signature illustration, Benson just breathed magic into this story.

This book takes a unique approach to the miniature-people-living-under-the-noses-of-humans trope and I had a fun time following Billy around in this story.

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[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

And with this story, for the first time illustrated by my beloved Quentin Blake, I end my journey of reading every volume of my Roald Dahl box set. I cannot say I loved every single book - I actually despised some of them ahah - but, overall, I am glad of my better knowledge about my favourite author as a child. This short story, in particular, is a fun read. Even though, is it just me or Roald Dahl's stories always seem to end a couple of chapters after they are supposed to?

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fortunately there was nothing problematic that I could see in this Dahl book, which was a relief. I liked this one a lot more than some of his other ones, and it ended on quite a beautiful message of being able to see magic. I enjoyed the story behind it too, of Billy going into a perilous forest to discover the Minpins who reminded me a little of the Borrowers. This would have actually been better if it was longer.

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

This is the last book Roald Dahl wrote.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most I devoured Dahl as a kid, there was something magical about the stories. Some of that charm was Quentin Blake's illustrations, they just fitted so perfectly.

As it transpires Blake did all but one of Dahl's books, so to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Dahl and Blake's first collaboration a Special Edition of Dahl's last story (the elusive one from Blake's collection) has been released and sees the familiar pictures to accompany the story.

I really enjoyed the Minpins, there was really a magical charm to the story. Both the words and pictures really gives you a sense of being in the forest.
A must read for Dahl fans.

[Harun Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
"all the things he was allowed to do were boring,all the things he was not allowed to do were exciting."

okay,I love roald dahl.but there is a similar pattern in most of his stories which is tiresome.he always found simplest solutions for the toughest problems and his plans never failed!!this billy and the minpins story is quite enjoyable. but there's nothing unique.rather,i enjoyed the post climax part.last few lines are magical-

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one's got to be my least Roald Dahl favourite of all times.
The character development is good. But it's the fantastical world development and representation that felt like they have been borrowed and the characters in this world lack charm.

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorite Roald Dahl books. That is probably because almost every item and descriptive word was made up and not real. I really had to expand my mind to follow a long and to picture what he was talking about.

[Dona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed my reading of BILLY AND THE MINPINS by Roald Dahl, from publishers Puffin and Penguin Random House, but my reaction to this new-to-me book from an old-favorite-author is complex!

Opening Quote: Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. p98

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The illustrations are wonderful as I remember them from childhood, thanks to Quentin Blake. Pages 72 and 73 have my favorite picture in this book!

2. The monster, huge and loud and for a good portion of the first half, concealed in its own exhaled smoke. It a creepy creature, but also a good metaphors for air pollution or threats to the planet's health in general.

3. This story teaches valuable lessons, such as cooperation with nature p50, contributing to the social good p52, and "sometimes mysteries are more intriguing than explanations" p92.

4. I feel in certain scenes a strong GULLIVER'S TRAVELS vibe. Love this wonderful and uncanny connection.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Some familiar images here. The forest of sin, where Little Jonny goes after growing bored with "being good," and listening to the devil whispering in his ear, decides to disobey "good boy rules" and climb out his bedroom window. This reminds me of the imagery of Eve's  fall in the garden of Eden. Also, the giant tree with branches growing low to the ground, and crown disappeared into the blue sky, resembles a very famous beanstalk.

2. The writing in the whole first third of the book is shockingly mediocre. Vague descriptions. Passive sentences. "Little Billy sat staring at this extraordinary thing," p31. Every bit of that sentence is incongruous, but also, "this extraordinary thing" is anything but a description of an extraordinary thing. I was pleased to discover things improved later in the book.

3. These books were all written a long time ago, and they're mostly lovely. But some old lessons holdover, such as on p43 when Little Billy compliments the Minpins' homes by being self-effacing about his own home. "They're all absolutely marvelous," he said. "They're much nicer than our rooms at home."

4. Sometimes the book's moral ideals contradict themselves. For example, we have the lessons I write about in Things I Love, specifically cooperation with nature p50, and contributing to the social good p52. But in direct opposition to these, just pages earlier, we have the leader of the Minpins, Don Mini, telling Little Billy that the Minpins "own the forest." I don't know if the word "own" quite had the force in 1991 that it does now, but for me it brought up a pile of questions the story never addresses.

Closing quote: Oh, it was a wondrous secret life that Little Billy lived up there in the sky at night  on Swan's back! They flew in a magical world of silence, swooping and gliding over the dark world below where all the earthly people were fast asleep in their beds. p84

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 of Gruncher's flames
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Feb 02 '24
Format: Paperback, Roald Dahl reading challenge 1/16
Read this book if you like:
🏔 adventures
🗡 hero story
👦 middle grade fiction
🦄 magical realism
🤝 friendship stories

[Megan Chard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roald Dahl has worked his magic with The Minpins, creating wonderful creatures of childhood fantasy and loyalty between friends with amazing illustrations by Patrick Benson.

Little Billy is bored of always being good, all he wants to do is go outside and explore the Forest of Sin beyond the garden gate. But his Mother warns him of the dangers within the Forest with the rhyme "Beware! Beware! The Forest of Sin! None come out, but many go in"! She tells Little Billy of the blood-thirsty Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers, Snozzwanglers, Vermicious Knids, and worst of all the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothplucking Stonechuckling Spittler! But Little Billy's desire to explore leads him to jump out the window, out of the gate and to the edge of the Forest.

Not long after stepping in through the trees Little Billy is being chased by the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothplucking Stonechuckling Spittler, and he climbs a tree to escape. He then meets the Minpins, who live in the trees, wear suction boots and ride on the backs of birds. Dom Mini, the Ruler of the tree, explains to Little Billy that the beast below is actually the Gruncher! The two of them come up with a plan to get rid of the Gruncher, and with the help of a swan Little Billy succeeds. Little Billy is sworn to secrecy of the Minpins existence and they form a beautiful friendship throughout his childhood.

I would recommend this book for children who are towards the end of Key Stage One to Year Three as they could enjoy the different characters with a better understanding, and relate to Little Billy's boredom of just sitting at home 'being good'.

[Shaghayegh.l3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But sometimes mysteries are more intriguing than explanations, and the swans on the blue lake, like the creatures on the golden cloud, would remain a mystery forever in Little Billy’s memory."

[Tim Orfanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το σημαντικότερο πλεονέκτημα του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου του Νταλ (1991) είναι η ατμοσφαιρικότητα και τα στοιχεία 'θρίλερ' που διαθέτει, όπως και η αίσθηση της ελευθερίας που νιώθει ο κεντρικός ήρωας. Τα πολλά και μεγάλα σκίτσα που υπάρχουν παραπέμπουν σε 'graphic novel', ενώ το μόνο αρνητικό θα μπορούσα να πω ότι είναι η σχετικά σύντομη ιστορία.

Βαθμολογία: 4,3/5 ή 8,6/10.

[Virginie Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this magical book!

I wanted to read it since the moment I came across this perfect quote:

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.

- Roald Dahl

The story was not exactly what I expected, that's why I didn't shelve it as one of my favorites, but it was close! I really liked how Dahl suggested other mysteries throughout the story, letting us imagine ourselves the other worlds existing. The illustrations of the Minpins in the trees are really cute, with a lot of details, and the descriptions of the forest are beautifully written. I felt like I was in there with Billy, escaping the house and entering this magical world.



I already read Matilda... Next one is gonna be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that I'm lucky to have recently found used in a sale! So happy to have it in my personal collection!



5*: Sad to finish it, this book was amazing
4*: Really liked it!
3*: Liked it
2*: Fell asleep a couple of times during my reading... but not entirely boring!
1*: Why did I bother to finish it?!

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a Dahl I hadn’t yet read! The Minpins is a classic childhood tale - Mom says not to go out into the Forest of Sin (haha what a great name), so obviously Little Billy goes.
There he encounters whispy little tree people, The Minpins, who have built cities in the trees and travel around on birds. He also encounters the monstrous Gruncher who loves to grunch on humans (Dahl’s play with language really shines in this book). The book is filled with magic and sure to delight readers of any age.

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
The minpins remind me of the Terry Pratchett's Rug people. This is a lovely story about childhood and friendship, once you're in these woods you can't get out, in a way or another.

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the magic never ends, or does it?
rip, roald.
the world will never be the same again.

[Keith Bruton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic by Dahl! Fans of Mary Norton's 'The Borrowers' will love this one. It was Dahl's final work.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a funny story about this book.

I read it for the first time in first grade. I loved it. I'm fairly certain I read it multiple times between first and third grade. The story is great and the pictures are stunning. Alas, I changed schools in third grade, and then changed again in fifth, and the title of the book was lost. I remembered the story but not what it was called.

Flash forward to just before my sixteenth birthday. Feeling nostalgic, I told my mom that for a gift, I wanted to track down this book I read in first grade. By this time, my memory of the book was a little muddled--I thought it was about tiny green people who lived in trees and were discovered by a little boy. So, we did what any sensible person would do. We sat at the computer and searched the Internet for "book with tiny green people who live in trees" and other variations of that phrase. No luck. I was disappointed, but pretty much accepted that finding the book was a lost cause.

Well, as it turns out, the brain is a mysterious thing. It traps a LOT of information. It incubates, if you will. And apparently even after I had given up trying to think of the title of this book, my brain was still working hard on it. About two weeks before my birthday I sat straight up in bed, out of a dead sleep, and exclaimed, "IT WAS SOMETHING 'PINS'!" I got out of bed, groggily scrawled "pins" on my hand, and went back to sleep. The next morning I showed my mom. "I think it was 'Ninpins'," I said. Luckily, she was able to put enough information together to figure out the actual title, and surprised me with the book for my birthday. She and my dad read it out loud to me. That was a really good day.

This book is still one of my treasured possessions.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if I would have rated a Roald Dahl book less than 5 stars.

[Recensioni in tre parole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immaginifico. Visionario. Fantasioso.

[Rebecca Crunden]

❧ audiobook review

I hadn’t come across this one as a kid, which is odd because Matilda and The Witches and The Twits are some of my most memorable childhood books/films, but this one is super cute.

☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eldest son’s first ‘big boy’ book with chapters. He was totally engrossed in the story and the original plan of ‘a few chapters at bedtime’ went out the window. Captured his imagination and felt like the start of a different sort of bedtime reading for us to share. Looking forward to working through the Roald Dahl collection with him.

Challenge list #12 (name in title)

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.

Ah, and during the Feast of The Three Wise Men or Magi or whatever. Lovely.

Jan 6, 19
* Maybe on my blog.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My beloved dog is a Min-Pin and I found this title searching for books about him! But it worked out well because this is a good story for kids and I've got a kid now. Roald Dahl wrote some seriously good stuff that did not underestimate children's abilities.

3 stars out of 5

[Holly Glem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise! I had never even heard of this book until my son came home with it from a reading carnival at school the end of last year. He read it on his own and enjoyed it, so we picked it up to do as a read aloud with him, me and my daughter.

It is short and sweet. But it has a great last line and the story is a crisp, clean tale!

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new edition of The Minpins was published to mark the 40th anniversary of the Dahl & Blake collaboration, which began with The Enormous Crocodile in 1978. In the years after Dahl's death, Quentin Blake reillustrated the books that were illustrated by others. This resulted in new illustrations for James, the two Charlie stories, The Magic Finger, Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny the Champion of the World. Blake also illustrated a 2012 edition of Boy.

I know that the original Patrick Benson picture book illustrations for the Minpins are more suited to the atmosphere of the story and I know that the re-illustrated versions of the pre-1978 Dahl stories might be a mere cash grab by Dahl's estate and publishers. However, this new Minpins hardback is like a capstone to the Dahl & Blake collaboration. Initially I was surprised that Blake would want to attempt the story, but when I purchased my copy of the book, I felt relieved that he adapted his style well the demands of the story.

Blake's illustrations are in a different style from the Benson originals. The original Benson pictures were naturalistic and atmospheric. The colour illustrations in the earlier version are cross-hatched and allow scenes to play out on a broad canvas. In contrast, Blake is more sprightly and more close-up and his illustrations accompany the story at every step. Occasionally the vignettes don't place themselves within a context, but we can still have an idea of the scene even when viewing these drawings. I have to admit that sometimes the atmosphere in the Benson pictures obscures the actors in the story, and so it's hard to see Billy, the minpins and the birds when they are not brought into the foreground. Some people may think that Blake's style better fits the Dahl books of the early 1980s, but here Blake shows remarkable restraint in depicting Billy's adventures with the Minpins.

The book feels more grown-up than the picture book version, as the story is now divided into 10 chapters. As such, it has a bit more stature to it and can take its place alongside the three other novellas in Dahl's corpus.

Don't be afraid - this Blake Minpins hardback does more than justice to the story. It may be different from Benson's naturalistic picture book illustrations, but it has its own rewards to devotees of Dahl and Blake.

I think I might be keen to see Dahl's estate put out a colour edition of this Blake edition of the Minpins.