book review of the bfg by roald dahl

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by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1982

Dahl's elemental fix on kids' consciousness gets this off to a surefire shivery start, with orphan Sophie, awake st the witching hour, snatched from her bed by a giant hand and carried off to a land of giants clear off the last page of the atlas. But Sophie's kidnapper is really friendly (hence BFG for Big Friendly Giant) and does not eat humans as she had feared, but occupies himself gathering and dispensing dreams. He also expresses himself in a mixed-up, cutesy manner that is simply tiresome. Nearby, however, are nine still-bigger giants who do eat humans ("I is a nice and jumbly giant" but "human beans is like strawbunkles and cream to those giants," says the BFG)—and it's to protect the world from them that Sophie and the BFG hatch a scheme: He will mix a dream from his collection and send it to the Queen of England to apprise her of the threat; then, when she awakens, Sophie will be on her windowsill, and the BFG waiting in the garden, to convince her that the dream is true. And so it is that we find Sophie and the BFG breakfasting with Her Majesty . . . and the BFG violating all decorum, even to letting fly a glumptious whizzpopper (kids would call it a fart). Nevertheless the Queen is impressed and sends off her military men, who, under the BFG's direction, rope the sleeping giants and haul them back by helicopter to be imprisoned in a giant pit. This is all told in Dahl's higgledy-piggledy home-made manner, which is rarely disarming here despite the pandering. And it's hard to find the bumble-tongued BFG endearing.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1982

ISBN: 0374304696

Page Count: 219

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1982

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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More by Alice Harman

BOOK REVIEW

by Alice Harman ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

developed by Roald Dahl ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

WRECKING BALL

From the diary of a wimpy kid series , vol. 14.

by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019

Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.

The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.

When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019

GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

More In The Series

by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney

More by Jeff Kinney

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

FAMILIES BELONG

by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020

A joyful celebration.

Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.

The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together , frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

More by Dan Saks

by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart

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Common sense media reviewers.

Girl befriends goodhearted giant in funny fantasy.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles sh

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of ch

Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Peps

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobsc

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy…

Educational Value

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles should rise up or sink down, it will make kids think about the science of bubbles. When the BFG talks about how humans in different regions taste, readers will learn names of different countries.

Positive Messages

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG seems very scary at first, but the more he and Sophie get to know one another, the better they understand each other's language.

Positive Role Models

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of gold. The BFG risks his own safety to save human lives.

Violence & Scariness

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of children. Their names underscore their brutality: Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, Childchewer, Meatdripper, Gizzaardgulper, Maidmasher, Manhugger, and Butcher Boy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Pepsi.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobscottle like it is a "bottle of rare wine." Three men drink too much beer and fall into a pit of giants.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy," "Delumptious," "Whizzpopping") that could be challenging for young independent readers to decipher, but the book makes a great read-aloud. There are some scary and suspenseful moments for little Sophie, and readers learn that the bigger giants eat children, but there's no graphic violence. Alcohol is mentioned a couple of times, but none is consumed "onscreen." One small warning for parents of impressionable children, though: Sophie and the BFG debate the delights and offenses of burping vs. farting, and a couple of scenes when the BFG passes gas are among the funniest in the book. The book does include lots of humor, as well as a brave hero and heroine, and wonderful, unlikely friendships. The BFG was made into an animated film (1989) and a live action/CGI movie (2016) directed by Steven Spielberg .

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (10)
• Kids say (28)

Based on 10 parent reviews

Can be read two ways...

Really good, funny book, what's the story.

Roald Dahl's THE BFG begins late at night when a little orphan girl named Sophie is the only one awake. She goes to the window and sees a giant walking down the street, carrying a suitcase and peering into people's windows. When the giant sees her, he grabs her and takes her back to his cave in Giant Country. Sophie is afraid that she'll be eaten, but her new friend, the Big Friendly Giant, explains in his own sideways version of English that though the other giants in this land are twice his size and eat children all over the world, he eats nothing but disgusting snozzcumbers -- a mythical vegetable.

Sophie also learns all about the ways the BFG captures dreams in Dream Country and secretly blows dreams into people's sleeping heads. One day, Sophie finds out that the other giants are planning to gallop to England, where they'll eat up lots of children. That's when Sophie and the BFG hatch a plan to mobilize Her Majesty the Queen's soldiers to stop the kid-eating giants once and for all.

Is It Any Good?

This funny fantasy about a girl and a friendly giant has loads of appeal for young readers, from action to wordplay to gross-out humor. Each of the late Roald Dahl's books has a special quality that sets it apart, and in this case, it's silly, smart, hilarious playing with language. The BFG has never been to school, and "sometimes is saying things a little squiggly." Kids who got a laugh out of Willy Wonka's reference to "snozzberries" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will find even more to giggle about here. All of the babblement makes The BFG a delightful book to read out loud. The story also has plenty of suspense (for youngsters) even as it just keeps getting funnier, all the way to the rewarding finish.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the funny things the giant says in The BFG . Do any of them seem familiar? Do you like the way he talks?

What do Sophie and the BFG have in common that helps them become good friends?

Have you read other books by Roald Dahl ? What does The BFG have in common with the other Dahl books that you like?

Book Details

• Author : Roald Dahl
• Illustrator : Quentin Blake
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Publication date : May 21, 2006
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 11
• Number of pages : 208
• Last updated : December 13, 2018

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The BFG by Roald Dahl - review

This book is about a giant that sees a girl, and the giant has got a trumpet but it makes no sound. The hand of the giant picks up a girl called Sophie and they go to Giant Land.

Afterwards Sophie sees that there are more giants. But the other giants are the bad ones. The good giant is called the BFG (the Big Friendly Giant), and he is a dream catcher!

My favourite part is when the giants start to fight. It's a very very funny book.

It's a brilliant bedtime story book. I recommend this book for all ages. Want to tell the world about a book you've read? J oin the site and send us your review!

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My introduction to Dahl….

An ongoing bone of contention in a couple of the #BookTwub discussions has been the feud between fans of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl as to which is the greatest children’s author.  One week Blyton came out on top but the following week Dahl triumphed.  I have been firmly on the side of Blyton – as a child I loved The Famous Five, Secret Seven and the Malory Towers adventures.  I pooh-poohed any suggestion that Dahl could possibly be as good, this was from a position of ignorance though as my only Dahl experience had been from reading his collected short stories .  Darren decided to force the issue and came home from work one day with two box-sets.  One was the first ten Famous Five novels, the other 15 Roald Dahl children’s books.  I was challenged to read them all and come up with a fully informed conclusion.

What first struck me about The BFG was the richness of the language used and the inventiveness of the language created.  It was great fun to read words like “Whoppsy-whiffling”, “squifflerotters” and “snozzcumbers” out loud.  I can imagine the delighted giggles from children having this story read to them.

I can also very easily imagine the nightmares of children who are completely terrified by the thought of nine giants with names including The Childchewer, The Bonecruncher and The Fleshlumpeater striding around the streets looking for tasty families to munch on.  Dahl doesn’t tone things down in order to make the story more palatable for sensitive readers and I love The BFG for that.  The book won’t be suitable for every child out there but for the ones who do read it, it is a gruesome and fun story.

The illustrations by Quentin Blake compliment the words perfectly.  My particular favourite is the one of the nine giants being carried off by helicopters, Chinooks I think but can’t be sure.  The drawings add richness to the book and it would have been a less enjoyable experience without them.

As an ardent Royalist I was pleased to see Her Majesty The Queen playing a prominent and heroic role in The BFG.  Next time someone asks why we should retain the Monarchy I’m going to point them to this book – no President would ever be quite so sensible (tongue only very slightly in cheek).

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The BFG by Roald Dahl Review

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Roald Dahl was a GIANT of an author as well as a man, being 6ft 6” (1.98m) tall. He was a master storyteller who has been delighting children and adults alike with his writing for decades (his books have sold upwards of 250 million copies worldwide). His scrumdiddliumtious tales are still delighting readers today, long after his death in 1990.

In 1982 he published The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) as a full children’s novel, with a short version of it originally being told as a bedtime story in the 1975 children’s book Danny, Champion of the World.

Sophie is an eight-year-old orphaned girl who lives in an children’s home with several other girls. One night when she cannot sleep, and despite the orders of the cruel disciplinarian orphanage owner Mrs Clonkers, she gets out of bed and looks out of the window over the deserted London streets. But the witching hour is no time for people to be awake, especially young children, and she sees something she shouldn’t! A 24ft giant with a wrinkly face, enormous ears and a dark cloak is wandering around carrying a suitcase and a trumpet, looking in windows and occasionally blowing in something he takes from his suitcase into the rooms of the sleeping occupants. Scared, Sophie jumps back into her bed and hides under the covers. But she has been noticed by the giant who promptly reaches into her window and plucks her off her bed, whisking her away to his cave in a desolate strange and distant land – a faraway land known as Giant Country.

Sophie is only a small girl, and the giant is, well, a 24ft giant of a man so she is terrified that he is going to eat her. She pleads for life, but the giant just laughs. The giant explains that whilst most giants eat human beans, The BFG prefers eating snozzcumbers and has no interest in eating her but the other nine man-eating giants outside of his cave most certainly will if they see her. The nine other giants are not so nice though and are twice the size of The BFG, who spends his days catching dreams, letting loose with the most tremendously loud whizzpoppers (farts to you and me), and eating the vilest food ever created in the form of snozzcumbers. As giants need very little sleep, he spends his nights blowing good dreams into the windows of sleeping children (at least he is not blowing whizzpoppers through the windows).

The other giants don’t even have as nice and friendly names as The BFG, they are:

• The Fleshlumpeater
• The Bloodbottler
• The Manhugger
• The Meatdripper
• The Childchewer
• The Butcher Boy
• The Maidmasher
• The Bonecruncher
• The Gizzardgulper

Sophie is told, in muddled speech (the giants speak in a language known as Gobblefunk), that she is now in Giant Country for the rest of her life as if she were to be taken back home she would tell everybody about the giants, and they would be hunted. If that wasn’t upsetting enough, she is also told that the nine 50ft man-eating giants just outside the door travel to different countries throughout the world every night devouring human beans (that would be human beings in English), especially children human beans.

Sophie is appalled at the news of the giants travelling around devouring chidlers (children) and hatches a plan with The BFG to visit London and the Queen and stop the other giants.

Overall, bash my eyebrows, The BFG is an excellent GIANT of a story that young readers will find delumptious. With Dahl’s expressive and inventive use of language, children will love the tale of Sophie, The BFG and the nine man-eating giants.

Whilst it is a dark tale of child kidnap, bullying (The BFG is bullied by the other giants because he is a lot smaller than them and doesn’t eat human beans), man-eating giants and friendship, the story is delightfully told using eight year old Sophie as the brave, sassy, intelligent and curious hero.

If I were to speak like The BFG in Gobblefunk then I is thunking that this is an excellent tale of friendship and doing what is right, one that even Dahl’s Chickens may enjoy – sorry, that pesky giant again, I obviously mean Charles Dickens.

A very clever story with interesting and well-developed characters written with Dahl’s trademark dark humour and expressive use of language that we all love. You will have to read it and let me know Am I Right or Am I left (if you can’t speak in Gobblefunk, that means right or wrong).

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £9.99 (Hardback) / £6.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)

Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

Click here to read more reviews of books by Roald Dahl

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Privacy Overview

by Roald Dahl

• The BFG Summary

As the book starts, a young girl named Sophie lies in bed in an orphanage. She can’t sleep, and sees a strange sight in the street. A giant man is walking in the street, carrying a suitcase and what looks like a trumpet. He sees Sophie, who runs to her bed and tries to hide. This doesn’t work, and the giant picks her up through the window. Then, he starts to run incredibly fast, until he reaches a large cave, which he enters.

When he sets Sophie down, she begins to plead for her life, believing that the giant will eat her. The giant laughs, and explains that most giants do eat human beings, and that the people’s origins affect their taste. For example, people from Greece taste greasy. The giant then says that he will not eat her, as he is the BFG, or the Big Friendly Giant.

The BFG then explains that he must stay with her forever, as no one can know of his existence. He warns her of the dangers of leaving his cave, as his neighbors are sure to eat her if they catch her. The BFG then explains what he was doing with the trumpet and suitcase. He catches dreams, stores them in the cave, and then gives the good ones to children all around the world. He destroys the bad ones. The BFG then explains that he only eats snozzcumbers, which are disgusting vegetables that taste of frogskins. Another giant, the Bloodbottler, then storms in. Sophie hides in a snozzcumber and is nearly eaten by the Bloodbottler.

After this, Sophie and the BFG vow to make the other giants disappear. The BFG and Sophie then partake in some frobscottle, which is a carbonated liquid that causes extreme flatulence. After this, the two go to Dream Country to catch some dreams and the BFG shows Sophie his collection of dreams. Later, Sophie has an idea on how to beat the other giants. She has the BFG give the Queen of England a dream that shows the malevolent giants. This frightens the Queen and wakes her up, at which point Sophie explains that her dream was real. The Queen then vows to help the two.

With other countries' assistance, they construct a giant pit. With the BFG’s help, they lure the other giants into the trap, where they can’t eat anyone else. Instead, they must eat snozzcumbers. At the end, it is revealed that the BFG and Sophie live in a mansion, where Sophie is teaching the BFG how to read and write, and the BFG is actually writing the book.

The BFG Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The BFG is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The mood is mysterious and exciting.

How many dreams did the BFG mix together?

The BFG mixed about fifty dreams together.

Sophie sat watching him but said nothing. Inside the big jar, lying on the bottom of it, she could clearly see about fifty of those oval sea-green jellyish shapes , all pulsing gently in and out, some...

The BFG's name?

The BFG introduces himself as the Big Friendly Giant, but the other giants call him Runt.

Suddenly, a tremendous thumping noise came from outside the cave entrance and a voice like thunder shouted, ‘Runt! Is you there, Runt? I is hearing you...

Study Guide for The BFG

The BFG study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The BFG
• Character List

Essays for The BFG

The BFG essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The BFG by Roald Dahl.

• The Cannibalization of Youth in Classic Fairy Tales from Grimm, Dahl, and Others

Wikipedia Entries for The BFG

• Introduction
• 2023 censorship controversy
• References in other Roald Dahl books

The Literary Edit

Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl

Unlike his novels Matilda and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, both of which have been made into film adaptations starring Hollywood A-Listers including Jonny Depp and Danny De Vito, The BFG has been untouched since the 1989 animated version which, along with the book, has captured the hearts of both adults and children worldwide.

First published in 1982, it tells the story of Sophie, who is snatched one morning from her orphanage by the Big Friendly Giant. He takes her back to his home in Giant Country where she encounters lots of strange goings-on, including child-eating giants and snozzcumbers. The BFG reveals to Sophie that he is the only friendly giant in Giant Country and secretly collects dreams, which he then distributes to the bedrooms of children all over the world. An unlikely friendship develops between Sophie and the BFG in what is ultimately a tale of trust and of friendship.

Known for his ability to both scare and delight readers worldwide, Dahl is the only children’s author to appear four times in the BBC Big Read and having written such an abundance of charming tales it’s easy to see why. In a time when many children are brought up watching television rather than reading books, I’m going to end on my favourite Roald Dahl quote:

“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

go throw your TV set away,

and in its place you can install,

a lovely bookcase on the wall.”

About The BFG

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

About Roald Dahl

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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2 comments on “Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl”

one of my favorite books in elementary school. read it to my 4year old for bed this summer. he was on the edge of the bed when the giant comes down the street in the opening chapter.

I never actually read this one when I was younger though I did adore the film – my favourite Roald Dahl books when I was younger were Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger!

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The BFG by Roald Dahl

Before seeing the new film adaptation I decided it was time to revisit one of Roald Dahl's classics. The BFG, which is worryingly now exactly as old as I am, was probably my favourite of the Dahl books as a child, as well as paradoxically being the one that scared me most.

There is something intrinsically frightening about giants, especially the thought of giants snatching children (or indeed anyone), out of bed at night with a hand through the window, and this is exactly how The BFG begins, with the orphan Sophie, (named for Dahl's grand daughter), seeing a tall thin giant on the street of her village and promptly being kidnapped by him and taken off to his cave in Giant country.

Fortunately for Sophie, the giant who snatched her is The BFG, the big friendly giant who does not eat human beans, but blows good dreams into the windows of sleeping children instead. Less happily, there are also nine other gruesome man-eating giants who like nothing better than crunching up to or three wopsy wiffling human beans for supper each night, whether beans from Chilly (where the giants go for something cold to eat in hot weather), Wellington (where the human beans have the flavour of boots), or Sweden, for the Sweden sour taste.

As you will gather, one of the most major themes in the BFG is Dahl's wonderful use of language and humour, especially regarding the giants dining habits. All of the giants, but in particular The BFG himself speak in a decidedly unusual fashion, using a plethora of invented words, spoonerisms and puns, indeed as a child I regularly used terms like "Gloryumptious" or "Boot bogglers" as a matter of course.

It actually amazes me rereading the novel now just how much of the action involves simply an on running dialogue between Sophie and The BFG, ranging on subjects from the constitution of dreams, to the number of amazing noises The BFG can hear with his giant ears, to a rather stark discussion of the ethics of the other giants eating of humans when contrasted against the way we treat our own species. It is surprising just how much terror and wonder, and how much of a boundless, colourful world Dahl can create simply by having a 24 foot tall giant and a little girl talking to each other. While Dahl's skills as a wordsmith and indeed word mangler are evident in all of his works for children, the BFG is arguably where he indulged in this most. Everything from small exclamations such as "by gum frog!" to alterations in usual phrases like "Let’s wait for the gun and flames to begin!" make the BFG, both the titular character and the work he comes from a truly delightful and unique reading experience.

This brings me onto a second aspect of the book, its character. Wikipedia's article on Roald Dahl lists The BFG as an example of presenting good, vs. bad adults, and indeed the metaphor for giants as parents is one Dahl himself touched on in his children's guide to railway safety. To blandly categorize Sophie and the BFG's relationship however as just that of a father and daughter is doing an extreme disservice to both characters and indeed to Dahl.

Even from his initial appearance when, far from reassuring Sophie that he won't eat her The BFG begins a discussion on the eating preferences of the other giants, The BFG is a complex, three dimensional character, (and not just because as a giant he has rather more third dimension than most).

Proud, mercurial, at times insensitive and even cynical, yet at the same time kindly, playful and wise, The BFG is a truly realistic character despite his fantastic origin and his fairy tale practice of good dream blowing.

He is matched equally by Sophie who is (with the possible exception of Matilda), Dahl's most complex child protagonist, prim, bossy, brave and curious, Sophie is every bit as three dimensional, not to mention being (like several other of Dahl's characters), a child who has lived in less than pleasant circumstances which are briefly but sharply detailed in the book. Another surprising aspect of this relationship which is central to the plot is the fact (rather unusual in a book aimed for younger children), that while both the orphaned little girl and the runtish, kindly giant are lonely characters who need each other, the book is never saccharin or too effusively emotional, indeed rarely are we told what characters feel about each other directly, rather we are shown by their actions and interactions and how they feel about the world around them. Though his writing is aimed at a child audience, it is clear that Dahl took as much care with his characters as when writing for adults, indeed on one occasion I do recall Dahl describing children as "the most critical of readers" and noting that the best way of alienating children from a work is to over simplify.

Quite aside from character, Dahl's style deserves praise over all. One gift Dahl had as a writer was a beautiful linguistic economy, able to highlight atmospherically features of the environment or conjure grand sights like bottled dreams or fifty foot tall brutish giants with only a few well chosen sentences. Whether wistful, horrific or mysterious, Dahl's command of mood, ambience and action is deeply admirable and something many writers would envy. This is particularly true when Dahl gets to the villains of the piece.

The nine man eating giants, from their gruesome names such as Bloodbottler,  Bonecruncher and Fleshlumpeater to their typically Dahl grotesque descriptions, they are some of the nastiest villains Dahl created, both in the nightmarish sense of being giants that eat people, and in a far more down to earth, and realistically unpleasant fashion. One section, in which the much smaller BFG is bullied, kicked and taunted by the other giants while being powerless to stop them has a disturbing and familiar ring of realism to it, recognizable to anyone who's ever been on the receiving end from much more human bullies. The lurking presence of the other giants and the constant threat they present gives The BFG a wonderful hint of danger that insures some of the sections just featuring Sophie and The BFG himself discussing dreams or other matters don't feel too safe, especially after one particularly horrific and quite genuinely scary close shave with the Bloodbottler.

Eventually, Sophie and The BFG find a way to convince the Queen of England to help them deal with the wicked giants. While I am not myself a fan of the Royal family, I really do applaud Dahl's presentation of The Queen here. As with the American President in Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Dahl neither parodies The Queen nor praises her effusively. He does represent her as someone ever courteous and polite who can help with The Giant Problem, but also pokes a little fun at the stiff royal attitude. Some of the scenes taking place around The Queen and her very professional butler, like the wonderfully weird idea of the huge BFG eating breakfast in the palace at a table supported by 12 foot grandfather clocks, using an old royal sword for a knife are themes which might even appeal more to adults than children.

The only minor problem I had reading the BFG was with dialogue. While Dahl's characterisation and use of language in speech is truly exceptional, his integration of dialogue into the flow of the narrative can be somewhat clunky. Far too often, he qualifies his dialogue with "said Sophie" or "cried the Bfg" to the point where the narrative interruptions felt arrhythmic and slightly patronising. Had Dahl not been as experienced a writer as he undoubtedly was when he wrote the book, I'd have assumed this the mistake of an author on their first work, or an adult author on sure of what tone to take when relating narrative to children.

The other section which rings a slightly off note today is not actually the fault of the writing. The BFG introduces Sophie to frobscottle, a magical green drink full of bubbles that fizz downwards rather than upwards, and so when drunk produces explosive "wizpoppers". As well as a grasp of the grotesque, Dahl always possessed a distinctly naughty sense of humour, and it comes into play here in full force, especially with Sophie’s at first blushing, slightly offended reaction followed by her enjoying the wizpopping in spite of herself, and then (just to compound things), for the BFG to demonstrate wizpopping before the queen (who is not amused). Dahl's ability here to suggest rather than parade; the delicacy he uses for a theme which in other hands could degenerate into unsubtle toilet humour to create something that is exceptionally funny is of course masterful, however unfortunately with changing culture and the greater prevalence of more crude humour for children around today, it is likely this would be far less funny to children now, than it was in 1982. This was typified when, a few years ago I heard a child on the train refer to the BFG as "oh that book where the giant’s fart", sad that said child plainly got nothing else out of the book, and doubly sad that the child didn't appreciate Dahl's ability to write an incredibly funny section without mentioning the word "fart" once.

The ending in which the army follows the BFG to Giant country to catch the nine wicked giants while they are sleeping worked well, albeit I did feel the unexpected confrontation with the Fleshlumpeater was over rather too quickly, since the BFG is able to trick him fairly easily into being tied up. I can see why the 1989 animated film (which apparently Dahl did approve of), made this a much more tense moment with the Fleshlumpeater trying to literally kill the BFG before being distracted by Sophie and finally knocked out by the BFG with the strategic use of a nightmare, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2016 film does something similar. Then again having the man-eating giants dumped into a huge pit and forced to spend the rest of their lives eating foul tasting snozcumbers is a very fitting punishment, and the idea of a "it is forbidden to feed the giants" sign next to their prison makes me laugh every time. While I do slightly regret that The BFG learned to speak properly, at the same time having him revealed as the author of the work does mean that children can comfort themselves with the knowledge that the Fleshlumpeater and co are firmly and decidedly stuck in a hole and won't be eating anyone else.

I will freely admit to being a little biased where the BFG is concerned. Terror, wonder, love of language and hints at a wide and fantastic world, The BFG has it all. I can only echo the BFG's words about his own favourite book, Nicholas Nickleby by Darlse Chickens: "I is reading it hundreds of times and I is still reading it and teaching new words to myself and how to write them. It's the most scrumdiddlyumptious story".

10/10 I is recombending all chiddlers should read this nobble

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Review by Dark

11 positive reader review(s) for The BFG

Roald Dahl biography

KJ from Europe

Just amazing!

Sheikh Sahara from Bangladesh

Ronaldo’s book the BFG is a story about a friendly giant known as the BFG who Kalex and gives good dreams to children’s NN there is one more character named Sophie.Together the BFG and Sophia with help from the Queen of England help to rid the world of the eating child giant.

Queen Abbie from Australia

I don't like the book because the use of words is terrible. Thank you.

Mitchell from Queensland

I am always wondering if any giants is jolly but other then that The BFG is the best book made by Ronald Dahl and everyone in the world out there should take the time and read it through.

Ahmed from Pakistan

Jude from America

I love this book a lot. For learners to read and it explains lots of stuff.

Pransul from India

Very good book . Excellent brain of Roald Dahl .

Suryasagar from India

It is a wonderful children's book, full of fantasy which children like. It fires their imagination. I haven't seen the movie. It must be quite enjoyable.

Mitch from Australia

I love this book, it makes me want to read more and continually watch the movie, whomever says it is boring maybe doesn't read all the time and maybe are boring to talk to either!!!!!!!!!!!

Alicia from South Africa

An awesome book I give a 10 star rating because whoever said it was boring doesn't have an imagination like I do. This book is my type!!!

Mpho Khensane Gift from South Africa

The BFG is a very delighting book but when you also watch the movies of the BFG three different things some parts I liked some made me wanna stop reading or even watching movies I would give it a ten but ... I like it would recommend it heyyy enjoy maybe u might have a different view thanks roald Dahl keep writing on where ever u if u dead u legacy will live with me and and wrote more if I find a publisher.

Debanjana from India

The bfg is a Lovely story.... I loved it..😊

Ankush from India

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME FOR THE NOVEL READING LEARNERS

9.4 /10 from 14 reviews

All Roald Dahl Reviews

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• Dirty Beasts
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator‏

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Book Review: The BFG by Roald Dahl

I’m thrilled to officially introduce you to my superhero son, Matt. He’s been part of this blog since it’s beginning with kids crafts , and a craft video as well. He’s my little bookworm and I’m happy to have him sharing reviews each month for some of his favorite books. I’m going to let him take it away…

Today my dad asked me what makes me happy . I said, “Well, a good book always cheers me up.” Then my dad had a great idea. Why not write book reviews for my mom’s blog since I love reading so much. I thought it was a great idea and decided to get started. I just had to think of what book I would choose to review. It was hard to choose just one!

I am going to review one of my favorites, The BFG . This book is a Roald Dahl classic. This book features a giant called, the BFG, who snatches up a little girl named Sophie. Together Sophie and the BFG, which stands for the “big friendly giant”, go on an adventure filled with angry 50-foot tall man eating giants, the Queen of England, and the place where dreams are made, literally.

My eight-year-old sister has recently read this book. Here is a little interview I had with her:

Warning this part contains spoilers!  

Me : What do think the best part of the book was? Lucy : When Sophie bravely stabbed a giant in the foot, when they went to collect the dreams so they could give them to the children of the world, and when Sophie awoke in the witching hour.

Me : What was the scariest part of the book for you? Lucy : For me the scariest part was when I found out that the giants loved to eat people and leave their bones in their beds.

Me : What age group do you think this book is appropriate for and why? Lucy : It’s a great book for kids about 8 and older. It’s a great book for that age group because the BFG isn’t educated and talks with made up words sometimes.

I think that this book is a great book for kids filled with adventure and fun. That is the conclusion to my book review on The BFG. Remember I will be doing one of these every month. So long for now, see you soon.

Matthew is a creative kiddo who loves to read. His favorite books are Fablehaven, Ender's Game, and Harry Potter. He also loves to play minecraft, eat blueberries, and go mountain biking.

My kids all LOVE this book! My six year old got it for his birthday last year and we read it as a family and now he has taken it to school so his teacher can read it to the class!

Great post and review Matt!! I love this idea and can’t wait to read next month’s! Roald Dahl is my all time favorite author and I am really looking forward to my kids being old enough to love his books as well.

This was one of my favorite books growing up!! I loved seeing it on here today!

Great review! My kids loved that book when they were young.

This is AWESOME!!! I have little bitty boys and I only hope that they have the love of reading that I do and that you have instilled in your children.

Matt, you did an excellent job and I hope this is the start of many great things for you! Kudos!

I loved this review! Roald Dahl is an awesome author and BFG is a favorite. I can’t wait to hear which book you’ll review next. You probably have hundreds… possibly thousands to choose from! :)

I have always loved this book! Keep up the great reading!

great job, matt! I remember loving that book myself when I was a kid. I’m sure Cate will love reading your book reviews every month, too!

• Children's Book Reviews

The BFG by Roald Dahl (Waterstones Exclusive) – Book Review

Published 03/08/2016 · Updated 21/04/2022

The BFG Author – Roald Dahl Illustrator – Quentin Blake Publisher – Penguin Books Ltd Pages – 197 Release Date – 23rd June 2016 Format – hardcover Reviewer – Stacey

Filled with never-before-seen illustrations by Quentin Blake, this limited edition of The BFG is part of a year of celebrations to mark 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth. It includes an exclusive new foreword in which Quentin tells the fascinating story behind his long collaboration with Roald Dahl and these never-before-seen pictures.

The Big Friendly Giant once looked rather different. His marvellous ears were rounder, he wore an apron and on his feet were a pair of boots. Quentin Blake thought the book was already on the way to the printers when he got a call; Roald Dahl had a few changes to make. So Quentin visited Roald Dahl at home for the first time and together, around the kitchen table, they recreated the giant, with his waistcoat and sandals that we know today. But what would become of Quentin’s original drawings? Tucked away in a drawer in his studio, they’ve been seen by not a goggler – until now.

‘ We is in DREAM COUNTRY . . . This is where all DREAMS is beginning. ’

On a dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant. Luckily it is the BIG FRIENDLY GIANT, the BFG, who only eats snozzcumbers and glugs frobscottle. But there are other giants in GIANT COUNTRY: fifty-foot brutes who gallop far and wide every night to find human beans to eat. Together with her friend the BFG, Sophie sets out to rid the world of trogglehumping giants forever…

To coincide with the cinema release of ‘The BFG’, and 100 years since author Roald Dahls birth, Waterstones has released an exclusive limited edition book that is full with never-before-seen illustrations by Quentin Blake.

I’ve been hard pushed to find one person who likes Roald Dahl’s books who doesn’t think that this story is one of his best works, it is certainly my favourite Roald Dahl book.

The story, following orphan Sophie and the BFG, is enchanting and magical, but it also includes some gruesome scenes, as the not to friendly giants go for lunch, with their choice of food being children.

Roald Dahl had a real knack for making his stories come to life. His books are all fun and interesting and they keep kids hooked to the pages with their elaborate stunts, tricks and characters. He understood children, and could really get to the heart of what they liked and were interested in.

This book is a keepsake, I’m not sure it’s one that you would want to give to a young child to read, more of a ‘children’s book for an adult’. The newly released illustrations are beautiful and being that there are only 5,000 copies, you really are getting a wonderful, classic book that you can treasure forever.

Book Reviewed by Stacey

Purchase link – only 5,000 copies were made, which have now all sold out..

Tags: Author Book Book Blog Book Blogger Book Review Children's Fiction Five Stars hardcover Review Roald Dahl Stacey

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Rate & Review Books with NCBC

Welcome back to Rate & Review Books with NCBC! 

This month, we hear from a Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC) that includes members who have been participating for almost 16 years!

Book or series of books : The BFG

Author : Roald Dahl

Please tell our readers a little about your book club.

“Well, Ashley and Suzanne have been here the longest,” says Carol, club co-facilitator and owner of The Alternative Center, a day program attended by most of the members in this club. Suzanne and Ashley have been participating in this Monday night NCBC since it began in 2008. While membership in the club changed slightly over the years, it changed significantly with COVID.

“We were determined to keep this going,” says Bonnie, co-facilitator and parent of club member Sara. “We really enjoy it,” she says. Bonnie and Sara first participated in a Next Chapter Book Club in the Chicago area. When they moved to Columbus in 2017, they were happy to find out that they could join a book club in the city where NCBC began.

Newer member Jaime shares that she was excited to join the book club. She and David started around the same time, in spring 2023. Until that point, all the members in this club had been women. “Then David fixed that!” says Suzanne, and the group laughs.

This NCBC meets in a bookstore, where Suzanne and her service dog Alfred join the club each week. Suzanne shares with the group what it used to be like to go to public places in her wheelchair. “There were jobs I couldn’t take after high school because I literally couldn’t get into the building,” she says. “Now buildings have to be accessible.” (Learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act here .)

Front row, left to right: Sara, Carol, Suzanne, Jaime, David, Bonnie, Caroline. Back row: Elizabeth, Ashley. Not pictured: Alfred the service dog.

What is this book about? What happens in this book?

“The BFG [Big Friendly Giant] would blow a trumpet into the boys’ and girls’ rooms at night, and they would have happy dreams,” Elizabeth shares.

One night, after a girl named Sophie sees the BFG, he kidnaps her. “But he would never hurt her,” says David. The BFG takes Sophie so she won’t tell anyone about him.

Unlike the other giants, the BFG is friendly and refuses to eat children. The group begins to laugh about some of the wild and gross names of the other giants. “The Bonecruncher, the Gizzardgulper, the Fleshlumpeater…” Bonnie recalls and shivers with disgust.

Ashley adds, “They creep me out. I can’t.” Ashley and a few others are clearly grossed out by the giants and their eating habits.

How easy was this book to understand?

“Some of the words in this book were hard to understand,” shares Carol. Made-up words like “snozzcumber” and “whizzpopping” made The BFG both a funny and sometimes challenging book for this group of readers.

“We liked how the giants said, ‘human beans ’ instead of ‘human beings ’,” Bonnie says with a smile. “We could still follow the plot of the story, even with the made-up words.”

What did you like about the book?

Members of the club enjoyed the unlikely friendship between Sophie and the BFG. “As we read, we could see the friendship forming,” says Carol.

“He protected her from the other giants and kept her safe,” Suzanne adds.

Toward the end of The BFG , the Queen of England makes an appearance, and Sara shares that this was her favorite part.

Were there any parts you didn’t like? If so, what were they?

Co-facilitator Caroline says, “We did not like the descriptions of what different people taste like.” To that, everyone strongly agreed.

If another Next Chapter Book Club was thinking about reading this book, what would you tell them?

Club members said that they would suggest other NCBCs read The BFG. Added Carol, “We did laugh a lot.”

Please rate this book on a scale from 1 to 5 stars.

This club gave The BFG 4.1 out of 5 stars.

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'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Matilda' and other Roald Dahl books that were made into popular movies

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Roald Dahl’s books have captured the hearts of children — and adults — for generations. His imaginative stories have made way for many popular movies.

You may not even know that a handful of your favorite films stemmed from Dahl’s stories. Some live action and animated films of Dahl's include the ever-popular "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

These six movies were inspired by the characters and plots penned by British author Dahl.

24 ANIMATED MOVIES MADE FOR CHILDREN YOU CAN ENJOY AS AN ADULT: FROM OLD CLASSICS TO NEW EDITIONS

The book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was released in 1964. This book about a chocolate maker named Willy Wonka, who invites a group of children to his mysterious factory, was made into a film shortly after the book was published.

The first movie based on this story, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," was released in 1971 featuring actor and comedian Gene Wilder as the chocolate maker.

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A second movie based on the Dahl book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," was released in 2005. This time, Golden Globe winner Johnny Depp stepped into the role.

In 2023, "Wonka" was released with American-French actor Timothée Chalamet starring as the lead. This movie is inspired by the Wonka character created by Dahl but tells a unique story dissimilar from the other films and the original book. This film serves as a prequel to the original story and dives into the backstory of how Wonka came to be.

A LOOK AT THE 3 ‘CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’ FILMS CREATED SINCE THE 1964 BOOK BY ROALD DAHL

The "James and the Giant Peach" film was released in 1996 and is based on the 1961 book written by Dahl.

This Disney adaptation of the story was directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi.

This story follows a young orphan living with his two awful aunts. James befriends new insect friends living in a gigantic peach and embarks on a new adventure. The film was a success and received an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score.

The magical story of "Matilda" is a tale of a highly intelligent young girl who discovers she has the power to move things with her mind.

"Matilda" was published in 1988, and the movie followed with a 1996 release. Cast members included Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Mara Wilson and more.

In 2010, this story became a musical, first hitting the stage in England. In 2013, the show opened on Broadway. A film adaptation of the musical was released in 2022.

11 MOVIE ADAPTATIONS OF BESTSELLING BOOKS

In "The BFG," a young orphan named Sophie is plucked from her bed in the middle of the night by a giant. She only knows the creatures as those who eat humans but realizes quickly that this giant is unlike others. This particular creature is a friendly giant.

The book was released in 1982 and Steven Spielberg directed Disney’s adaptation of the book titled "The BFG" in 2016. Mark Rylance plays the giant, and Ruby Barnhill plays Sophie.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" was published in 1970 and was made into an animated movie in 2009.

This film includes a star-studded cast, with George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe all voicing characters in the film.

This picture was nominated for two Oscars; best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original score and best animated film of the year.

"The Witches" is a 1983 novel by Dahl. Though this dark fantasy story was made for a children’s audience, young kids may be frightened by this story. It’s more suitable for those in late elementary school and early middle school.

To date, there have been two movies made based on this book. The first was released in 1990, and the second in 2020.

In the first version, Anjelica Huston plays the Grand High Witch. Other actors in the 1990 movie are Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson and Brenda Blethyn.

In the most recent version, Anne Hathaway portrays the Grand High Witch. The cast of the 2020 movie also includes Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock.

Original article source: 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Matilda' and other Roald Dahl books that were made into popular movies

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'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Matilda' and other Roald Dahl books that were made into popular movies

Several of dahl's stories, like 'james and the giant peach' have been made into award-winning films.

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Roald Dahl’s books have captured the hearts of children — and adults — for generations. His imaginative stories have made way for many popular movies. 

You may not even know that a handful of your favorite films stemmed from Dahl’s stories. Some live action and animated films of Dahl's include the ever-popular "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

These six movies were inspired by the characters and plots penned by British author Dahl.

Roald Dahl wrote many books that were made into popular movies.  (Ronald Dumont/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

24 ANIMATED MOVIES MADE FOR CHILDREN YOU CAN ENJOY AS AN ADULT: FROM OLD CLASSICS TO NEW EDITIONS

1. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" 

The book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was released in 1964. This book about a chocolate maker named Willy Wonka, who invites a group of children to his mysterious factory, was made into a film shortly after the book was published. 

The first movie based on this story, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," was released in 1971 featuring actor and comedian Gene Wilder as the chocolate maker. 

A second movie based on the Dahl book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," was released in 2005. This time, Golden Globe winner Johnny Depp stepped into the role. 

Many debate the topic of who played Wonka best, Gene Wilder (pictured) or Johnny Depp.  (Silver Screen Collection)

In 2023, "Wonka" was released with American-French actor Timothée Chalamet starring as the lead. This movie is inspired by the Wonka character created by Dahl but tells a unique story dissimilar from the other films and the original book. This film serves as a prequel to the original story and dives into the backstory of how Wonka came to be.

A LOOK AT THE 3 ‘CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’ FILMS CREATED SINCE THE 1964 BOOK BY ROALD DAHL

2. "James and the Giant Peach"

The "James and the Giant Peach" film was released in 1996 and is based on the 1961 book written by Dahl. 

This Disney adaptation of the story was directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi.

This story follows a young orphan living with his two awful aunts. James befriends new insect friends living in a gigantic peach and embarks on a new adventure. The film was a success and received an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score.

3. "Matilda"

The magical story of "Matilda" is a tale of a highly intelligent young girl who discovers she has the power to move things with her mind. 

"Matilda" was published in 1988, and the movie followed with a 1996 release. Cast members included Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Mara Wilson and more.

In 2010, this story became a musical, first hitting the stage in England. In 2013, the show opened on Broadway. A film adaptation of the musical was released in 2022.

Danny Devito directed and starred in the 1996 movie "Matilda." (Getty Images )

11 MOVIE ADAPTATIONS OF BESTSELLING BOOKS

4. "The BFG"

In "The BFG," a young orphan named Sophie is plucked from her bed in the middle of the night by a giant. She only knows the creatures as those who eat humans but realizes quickly that this giant is unlike others. This particular creature is a friendly giant.

The book was released in 1982 and Steven Spielberg directed Disney’s adaptation of the book titled "The BFG" in 2016. Mark Rylance plays the giant, and Ruby Barnhill plays Sophie.

Mark Rylance plays the giant, and Ruby Barnhill plays Sophie in "The BFG."  (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

5. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" 

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" was published in 1970 and was made into an animated movie in 2009.

This film includes a star-studded cast, with George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe all voicing characters in the film. 

This picture was nominated for two Oscars; best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original score and best animated film of the year.

6. "The Witches" 

"The Witches" is a 1983 novel by Dahl. Though this dark fantasy story was made for a children’s audience, young kids may be frightened by this story. It’s more suitable for those in late elementary school and early middle school. 

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To date, there have been two movies made based on this book. The first was released in 1990, and the second in 2020.

In the first version, Anjelica Huston plays the Grand High Witch. Other actors in the 1990 movie are Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson and Brenda Blethyn.

In the most recent version, Anne Hathaway portrays the Grand High Witch. The cast of the 2020 movie also includes Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital. 

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Wealth of Geeks

The Best Roald Dahl Movies to Ever Hit The Screen

Posted: March 14, 2024 | Last updated: March 14, 2024

Release of the critically acclaimed film Wonka , an origin story based on Roald Dahl’s signature 1961 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , shows that the author (and Roald Dahl movies) still has a grip on the public imagination over 30 years after his death.

Dahl’s many children’s books – among them, James and the Giant Peach , The Witches , Matilda , The BFG , and Fantastic Mr. Fox – championed kindness and decency but were, like the Mary Poppins novels of P.L. Travers, rigorously unsentimental, hewing closely to author G.K. Chesterton’s adage that “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” In Dahl’s case, those dragons were almost always villainous, brutish adults brought down by the children they despised and abused.

As one of the world’s best-selling authors, Dahl’s books and stories have had an irresistible allure for filmmakers. But as this list shows, Roald Dahl movies have had varying results.

( NB . Dahl also wrote several original screenplays, two of which were based on novels by his friend and fellow intelligence officer Ian Fleming).

Matilda (1996)

Derived from one of Dahl’s best-loved books, about a precocious young girl who uses her telekinetic powers to thwart the villainous adults in her life, Matilda drew criticism from some who felt director Danny DeVito and writers Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord had over-Americanized the material. And true enough, all the characters (with the exception of Miss Trunchbull, played by Welsh actress Pam Ferris) are American, and the action shifts to an unspecified stateside location.

But with a spirited performance from the nine-year-old Mara Wilson at its heart, the film fully captures the novel’s rebellious exuberance even if it loses some of its quintessential Englishness.

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

So deliriously strange is James and the Giant Peach – a young boy, terrorized by two frightful aunts, escapes in a piece of gigantic airborne fruit, and flies it from England to New York, accompanied by a crew of man-sized talking insects  – only director Henry Selick ( The Nightmare Before Christmas , Coraline ) and his sorcerer’s touch with stop-motion animation could’ve brought it to the screen with sufficiently bizarre panache.

Dahl refused to countenance a film version of James during his lifetime, but following his death in 1990, his wife Lucy gave the project her blessing. She later proclaimed it “A wonderful film,” adding that Roald “would have been delighted.” Which gratifies in one sense but disappoints in another. One can only wonder what Dahl and Selick might’ve cooked up if given the chance to work together.

The Witches (1990)

Fabulous prosthetics and puppetry from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop ( The Witches was Henson’s last feature) combine with Angelica Huston’s gloriously villainous performance, sympathetic direction from veteran Brit auteur Nicolas Roeg, and stunning art direction from John King and Norman Dorme for a comedy-fantasy-horror masterpiece.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

More stop-motion, and more input from the fantastic Mr. Selick, although he quit as animation supervisor mid-way through production to take the reins of Coraline .

Even so, Wes Anderson’s film, co-written with frequent collaborator Noah Baumbach, offers up a typically quirky concoction, brimming with classic storybook visuals and the director’s trademark wry wit. It’s also further compelling evidence that Roald Dahl movies – liberally expanded here by Anderson and Baumbach – lend themselves particularly well to both animation and idiosyncratic directors of a similarly mischievous mindset. 

Danny, the Champion of the World (1989)

A charming, touching and unerringly faithful adaptation of Dahl’s 1975 novel, Danny stars Jeremy Irons as a widowed father who bonds with his young son by teaching him the (ig)noble art of pheasant poaching. Suffused with nostalgia and Dahl’s deep love for the English countryside, it plays as old-fashioned family entertainment entirely unsullied by ostentatious special effects or Hollywood gloss.

The BFG (1989)

Made by British animation studio Cosgrove Hall Productions (makers of classic kids’ shows Danger Mouse and Count Duckula ), this delightful adaptation of Dahl’s 1982 novel had the full – and highly unusual – support of the author.

Dahl encouraged the filmmakers to base the character of Lucy, the little girl who befriends the giant, on his granddaughter (writer and former fashion model Sophie Dahl), hence her bobbed hair and large granny glasses. Much to director Brian Cosgrove’s relief, the finished film met with the entire Dahl family’s approval. He later recalled the standing ovation they gave it following its first London screening.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Wes Anderson sprinkles more magic on this unassuming, almost theatrical adaptation of Dahl’s short story. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a self-centered millionaire who learns a shaman’s trick to cheat at cards and ends up becoming one of the world’s great philanthropists. Appealing, funny, and odd: Roald Dahl movies in a nutshell.

Matilda the Musical (2022)

A rare remake that fully lives up to the original, probably because it’s not a remake at all but a rip-roaring reinvention of Dahl’s novel based on the hit West End show. Tremendous fun, bursting with catchy songs and dazzling choreography, it’s a salutary lesson for anyone attempting to adapt a stage musical into a movie.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

To some, director Mel Stuart’s take on Dahl’s seminal 1961 novel is a timeless classic, a fun singalong to four awful kids (and one nice one) getting their just desserts (pun intended). To others it’s a trippy, dayglo fever dream with Gene Wilder ­– horribly miscast – playing a glassy-eyed, manic version of Wonka that’s a million miles from the puckish eccentric of the book.

Dahl penned the original script himself, but it suffered so many tortured rewrites on its way to the screen he ended up disowning it, spawning a lifelong aversion to movie adaptations of his work. 

The BFG (2016)

A well-intentioned live-action remake from Steven Spielberg that, for reasons not easy to fathom, just doesn’t have the charm of the 1989 animated version. It looks gorgeous, the CG is breathtaking (it’s Spielberg, after all), and the performances from Mark Rylance as the titular big guy and Ruby Barnhill as his diminutive sidekick Sophie (a nod to Sophie Dahl) are terrific. But the all-important extra dash of wonder unaccountably goes AWOL.

Esio Trot (2015)

By the time he got round to 1990’s Esio Trot , his last novel, Dahl had mellowed. The weirdness and menace of his best work bows out to cozy domesticity and the sentimental tale of a retired bachelor who falls in love with his middle-aged widow neighbor whose pet tortoise provides both the title (think about it) and a welcome touch of whimsy.

The TV movie adaptation, written by Richard Curtiss and Paul Mayhew-Archer, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, and starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench, certainly has its charms, chiefly the gentle comic script and excellent performances of the two leads. But die-hard fans of Roald Dahl movies will wait for a macabre twist that never comes. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Roald Dahl and Tim Burton: indeed a marriage made in heaven. As with Henry Selick (Burton’s fellow Disney reject and sometime collaborator), it’s tempting to imagine what these two kindred spirits could’ve achieved if they’d put their heads together. Who knows, maybe they could even have saved this movie.

Then again, given its conspicuous lack of charm, numbing overuse of CGI, grating musical numbers, and a performance from Johnny Depp described by critics Chloe Roberts and Darren Horne as a “genetic mutation of Michael Jackson and the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, ” maybe not.

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Dahl came on to write the fifth Bond movie after the studio rejected the original script by Sydney Boehm. After dismissing his old friend I an Fleming’s source novel as the worst book he ever wrote, Dahl proceeded to write a script that bore almost no relation to it whatsoever. The results, which finds 007 in Japan, battling his old nemesis SPECTRE, were patchy, to say the least (that Dahl had virtually no previous experience as a screenwriter probably didn’t help).

The New York Times ’ Bosley Crowther concluded a typically verbose review with the words “majestically absurd.” Clifford Terry of the Chicago Tribune was less kind. “Roald Dahl’s script is larded with sex-slanted jokes that are either pathetically feeble or sophomorically coarse,” he wrote. “Bond’s patented puns are punier and even Connery’s enthusiasm for his shrewd, suave, and sensual character seems to have waned.” Dahl was not invited to write a Bond movie again.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Dahl’s second bite at a Fleming novel could hardly be more different. Or more disappointing.

Again, a frothy feelgood treat for some, but for anyone with even half their critical faculties about them, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang comes off as a tin-eared, saccharine-sweet throwback to the dying days of the Hollywood musical – the female lead is called Truly Scrumptious for god’s sake!

A creaky, corny affront to Fleming’s excellent children’s book, which boasts gangsters and gunrunners as well as a flying car, the film has one thing and one thing only going for it: the trauma-inducing Child Catcher, played to the poker-faced sinister hilt by Austrian actor and ballet dancer Robert Helpmann.

The Witches (2020)

An unforgivably flat remake of the 1990 classic, even with Anne Hathaway’s unhinged performance as the Grand High Witch can’t muster an iota of its forebears magic. “Nicolas Roeg’s version may have scarred a generation of kids for life,” wrote Indiewire ’s  David Ehrlich, saddling the Robert Zemeckis-directed dud with a D+, “but at least they remembered it.”

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Roald Dahl Biography Reading Comprehension Passage Printable Worksheet PDF

Subject: English

Age range: 10 - 16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

21 March 2024

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This reading comprehension passage about Roald Dahl is designed with your students in mind, ensuring a delightful and educational experience.

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Summary of passage

Roald Dahl, a famous British author, wrote fantastic and exciting stories for children. His passion for writing started at a young age and led him to create beloved children’s books like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” His other notable works include “Matilda,” “The BFG,” and “James and the Giant Peach.” Dahl’s stories were filled with magic, humor, and unforgettable characters, often with a touch of darkness. Apart from being a writer, Dahl had a fascinating life as a fighter pilot and spy during World War II, which inspired some of his stories. His books have been translated into many languages and sold millions of copies worldwide, making him one of the most celebrated children’s authors in history. In conclusion, Dahl’s incredible imagination and creativity continue to bring joy and laughter to children and adults alike.

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