The Magic Finger
Allen & Unwin, 1968.
First edition. 8vo. Paper covered boards illustrated in colour. Ownership inscriptions to the front endpapers. Many illustrations by William Pène du Bois, including pictorial endpapers and some double page illustrations. A very good copy with light spotting to the boards and two internal tape reinforcements.
Dahl had originally begun work on the book in 1962, under its original title of The Almost Ducks. In the story, an eight-year-old girl, who hates to see animals killed for fun, develops a special power, similar to that of Matilda. The book was part of a project in which a group of writers were asked to create a story for children using a limited vocabulary. Dahl, who was very much against animal cruelty, wrote this anti-hunting story against "all the brave deer hunters and duck hunters in the country". However, Dahl's publishers were initially wary of repercussions from the US gun lobby and Dahl had to wait until their option to publish had expired, before having it published by Harper & Row in 1966 and two years later in the UK.
Stock ID: 47151
