The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl

I grew up reading lots of books by Roald Dahl. I loved his slightly odd writing style maybe more than my classmates. I remember sharing a passage from The Twits in third grade and my classmates didn't seem as excited about it as I thought they should have been.

I have not had the chance to read more from this author since those days in school and jumped on the chance to reaquaint myself with him for this class. I love his outlandishly simple stories. This short novel centers on a window washing company run by a giraffe, pelican, and a monkey. Add to this mix a boy hoping to find a grubber (candy shop) and the richest man in England with 677 dirty windows! Obviously there will be a big job for the new window company, who call themselves The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company.

Dahl has consistently helped his whimsical characters come to life by the illustrations of Quentin Blake. The combination of silly text and pictures make a more complete experience for the reader. I love the smattering of British English vocabulary, it somehow makes the story more credible and fun to read. I think kids would love to read and or have this book read to them.