Book store’s Roald Dahl theme day is a real peach

Monday 19th September 2011, 2:38PM BST.

Children having fun with a giant peach in Cae Glas Park, Oswestry, to mark Dahl’s birthday

Youngsters recreated the story of James and the Giant Peach when they enjoyed a day celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the best known books by Roald Dahl.

A giant peach was rolled around Cae Glas Park in Oswestry as part of the event organised by the town’s Booka Bookshop. The 40 primary school children explored the world of James and his insect friends.

The event was part of bookshop owner Carrie Morris’s campaign to bring books alive. It was the second Roald Dahl day the shop has been involved in.

Mrs Morris said: “We had 40 children take part in the day. We had a storytime in the shop and enjoyed some crafts, then went out in the park to roll the peach.

“We had some Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker skittles and the children recreated the scene when the peach squashed them,” she said.

“The children would have been content to spend all day rolling the peach around the park.”

James and the Giant Peach was written in 1961 and was adapted into a film in 1996.

The surreal story tells the tale of James, a young orphaned boy who is bullied by his aunts. But he climbs into a giant peach and befriends six insects who live inside.

Mrs Morris added: “Last year the theme was The Twits and we made some recipes from the book.”

She said both the children and the parents had really enjoyed the days.

“My aim has always been to bring books alive and have activity days like this, based around books. Each year the Roald Dahl Foundation has a theme day and this year it is the 50th anniversary of James and the Giant Peach.”

The bookshop also raised funds for the Roald Dahl Marvellous Children’s charity.

Events coming up at the Booka Bookshop include an evening with Isabel Losada, author of the Battersea Road to Enlightenment, on October 5 from 7-9pm.

View more: Oswestry news.