Roald Dahl’s publisher and the company that controls his literary estate are making some changes to the author’s children’s books, editing language that some might find objectionable, the Guardian reports.
Puffin Books and the Roald Dahl Story Company hired the consultancy company Inclusive Minds to change some of the text in Dahl’s classic children’s books.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a description of the Oompa Loompas—workers in the titular candy manufacturer—has been changed from “small men” to “small people,” while the character Augustus Gloop is now portrayed as “enormous” and not “fat.”
The word “fat” has been cut from other books as well, including James and the Giant Peach, in which a song describing the body types of the characters Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker has been excised and replaced with rhymes that don’t mention their weights.
The word “ugly” has been removed from the new editions of the books, as well as the noun form of “female.”
The Guardian notes that Puffin has added language to the books’ copyright pages, reading, “The wonderful words of Roald Dahl can transport you to different worlds and introduce you to the most marvelous characters. This book was written many years ago, and so we regularly review the language to ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
