The BFG

The BFG
by Roald Dahl

First published in Great Britain in 1982.

As it was World Book Day on Thursday I decided to review one of my favourite books from my childhood this week.  When I was at school World Book Day wasn't about dressing up, it was a chance to get a new book with my voucher.  A lot of the books on offer were by Roald Dahl and he became one of my favourite authors.

I fully believe that growing up reading Roald Dahl gave me a brilliant imagination and a love for reading that has stayed with me.  He also gave me the confidence to believe in myself, even as a small child, as all of his books feature children doing amazing things as the main character.  I remember wanting to write to him when I was about eight, only to find out he had died six years earlier.  Nevertheless I still re-read his books when I want a bit of comfort and escapism.  On a side note, Quentin Blake's illustrations are also brilliant.

It was so difficult choosing just one of his books to review, but I decided on The BFG.  It is one of the first that I remember reading, especially at bedtime.

The story is that of Sophie, a young orphan who can't sleep one night.  She goes to her orphanage window and sees a Giant outside.  Sophie jumps back into bed but she soon feels the Giant's hand picking her up, in her blanket, and taking her out the window.  He carries her away to his home in a cave in a canyon.  There, he introduces himself as the Big Friendly Giant, or BFG, and promises he won't eat her.  She sees the other Giants who live around the canyon, and who are called names such as The Bloodbottler, The Fleshlumpeater and The Childchewer.  While Sophie is with the BFG, he introduces her to eating snozzcumbers, making whizzpoppers and the magic of dreams.  When the other Giants go off to eat children, Sophie decides she must stop them, and comes up with the idea of telling the Queen.  Together, she and the BFG make a plan to meet the Queen and stop the Giants.  What follows is a brilliantly written meeting and an imaginative ending.

Sophie is a brilliant protagonist.  Although she is an orphan and seems to be alone in the world, she is brave and friendly towards the BFG.  Her caring nature creates a strong bond with the BFG and shows that if you are kind, people are kind back.

The BFG is a funny, loveable character who teaches us not to judge by appearance.  He cares about Sophie, even saying that he feels bad taking her away from her parents, to which Sophie replies that she is an orphan.  He is a loner in his cave and just wants to be accepted.

I think reading this as a child, and indeed all of Dahl's books, teach you not to be afraid of situations out of your control, and that even though you may be small you are still important.  The BFG has the right amount of scary writing that younger readers enjoy, but to me the main theme is friendship.  It taught me that the best friendships can come from the most unlikely places.

So tell me, what was your favourite book as a child?