Roald Dahl’s dramatic last story is perfectly matched for the first time by Quentin Blake’s new illustrations in a beautifully produced edition. Billy is told by his mum that he must never go out through the garden gate and into the dark wood. But how can he resist the attraction of the wood and what is in it? Billy heads into the wood and meets the Minpins, delightful tiny creatures who live inside the hollow trees. And the Minpins are terrified. The dreadful Gruncher is destroying them and they need Billy’s help to stop him. Soon Billy finds himself at the centre of a thrilling adventure that is literally a matter of life and death. Roald Dahl’s story-telling skills look as bright as ever.
'But...but...who are you?' Little Billy asked. 'We are the Minpins,' the tiny man said, 'and we own this wood'.
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?
The text in this edition of Billy and the Minpins was updated in 2022 for young independent readers.