Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7
Based on the major motion picture—an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor—Wonka introduces readers to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time . . . proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
About the Author
Sibéal Pounder is the author of the bestselling Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series of books, Neon’s Secret Universe, and the Christmas tale Tinsel. Her debut, Witch Wars, was shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. The Bad Mermaids series was a World Book Day title and a Sunday Times bestseller. Before becoming a full time author, Sibéal worked for the Financial Times.
Paul King is a BAFTA-nominated writer/director who works in both film and television. His most recent feature, Wonka, is an original prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, and will debut in theaters worldwide in December.
In 2009, King wrote and directed his first feature film, Bunny and the Bull, starring Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg. King directed all three series of The Mighty Boosh, earning him a BAFTA nomination for Best Director in 2004. The BBC comedy aired in the US on Adult Swim. His most recent work for the small screen includes directing and executive producing episodes of the 2020 Netflix series Space Force starring Steve Carrell.
King co-wrote and directed Paddington in 2014, a film which received both critical and commercial success worldwide, including BAFTA nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best British Film. King next co-wrote and directed Paddington 2, released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2017 to great critical acclaim.
Simon Farnaby is an actor and writer whose starring film credits include Burke and Hare, (John Landis, 2010); Your Highness (David Gordon Green, 2011); Bill (Richard Bracewell, 2015), for BBC Films, loosely based on the early life of William Shakespeare; and Bunny and the Bull (Paul King, 2009), for Film 4. He also appeared in writer/director King’s critically acclaimed, BAFTA-nominated hit Paddington and reprised his role for the equally acclaimed sequel, Paddington 2 which he co-wrote with King, receiving two BAFTA nominations himself. His work will next be seen on the big screen in December in King’s Wonka, an original prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which Farnaby again co-scripted with the director, and also plays an on-screen role.
Most recently, Farnaby’s work could be seen on the big screen in Craig Roberts’ 2021 comedy The Phantom of the Open, co-written by Farnaby, based on his own book, which stars Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft, the worst golfer in the world. He also appeared in Marc Forster’s Christopher Robin in 2018; Rogue One for director Gareth Edwards, in 2016; and in the same year, Mindhorn, for director Sean Foley, in which he starred as Clive and co-wrote alongside longtime collaborator Julian Barratt.
His TV credits include The Mighty Boosh, as a coremember of the supporting cast, the BAFTA-winning Detectorists, the quadruple BAFTA and double Comedy Award-winning Horrible Histories, Jam and Jerusalem, and The Midnight Beast.
Along with the five other principal members of the cast of Horrible Histories, Farnaby is also the co-creator, writer andstar of Yonderland, an eight-part family fantasy comedy series that premiered on Sky One in 2013.
Also in 2013, Farnaby presented a documentary entitled Richard III: The King in the Car Park, tracing the discovery and identification of the remains of the last Plantagenet king. The program won a Royal Television Society (RTS) award for best documentary and was nominated for a BAFTA.
Roald Dahl is one of the world’s best and most original storytellers with over 300 million books sold, translated into 68 languages. Deeply funny and deliciously dark, his timeless stories are beloved by kids and adults alike and have introduced generations of kids to the joys of reading and the imagination.
