Julia Donaldson MBE, Children’s Laureate 2011-2013 and internationally acclaimed author of The Gruffalo and other children’s books, chooses The BFG, by Roald Dahl.
“Roald Dahl is a master story-teller, whose stories can be read aloud or alone with equal enjoyment. The BFG is my favourite because of the deliciously inventive language used by the Big Friendly Giant who snatches little orphan Sophie from her bed and takes her on the adventure of her life. When my children were growing up we all giggled and marveled together about the giant’s ears which are able to hear “cattlepiddlersargying about who is going to turn into the prettiest butteryfly”. And like all Roald Dahl’s books, it’s a real page-turner.”
“Well, first of all, ” said the BFG, “human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist.” Sophie discovers that giants not only exist, but that there are a great many of them who like to guzzle and swallomp nice little chiddlers. But not the Big Friendly Giant. He and Sophie cook up an ingenious plot to free the world of troggle-humping — forever.