Seeing the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" movie on Friday night brought back all sorts of Roald Dahl memories. As a child I read James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But my kids (especially Webb) loved reading Dahl...from The BFG to Mathilda to The Vicar of Nibbleswick; Roald Dahl entertained us all!
Roald Dahl brought magic to his stories and I loved his sense of humor. For example, Dahl said: "Do you know what breakfast cereal is made of? It's made of all those little curly wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners!" After I read that, I couldn't pour a bowl of Captain Crunch without imagining a big bite full of sawdust!
Without Roald Dahl, we wouldn't have Oompa Loompas! Can you even imagine a world where Oompa Loompas don't exist?
I can get a little carried away in my allegiance to great children's authors; you don't have to know me long to hear me sing praises to Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Roald Dahl, etc.! The best writers for children never look down on their audience...especially an audience of clever young minds! Their goal is the story and not to impart a moral/message. Of course, like all good literature, we are usually more inspired when a creative story touches us; more than a didactic sermon! And Roald Dahl is a master when it comes to creative stories!
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." -Roald Dahl
