In this master class of children’s literature, we follow Sophie, an orphan girl, who one night learns that giants actually exist.
One sleepless night at the witching hour, Sophie gets out of bed to pull her window curtains tight, as they are parted and letting in a beam of moonlight. But just as she goes to reach for the curtains, she slips underneath them to peer out the window and gaze upon her town at the witching hour. She admires how twisted and strange everything looks at this hour. Everything was pale and ghostly milky-white under the moonlight. Her eyes wandered further and further down the street until she saw it. Something very tall, very black, and very thin coming up the street.
With her eyes frozen on this tall, black, thin mysterious figure, she watches as it walks and stops and walks and stops. She can’t quite figure it out. As the figure came closer, she realized it was peering into the second-story windows of each house along the street. It would stop, peer in, and then continue to walk.
As this creature got closer, she could see it carried something in each hand. In one hand it carried what looked like a long trumpet, and in the other it carried a very large suitcase. She could also see that this creature looked like a giant person. A giant person in a long black cloak.
She watched and held her breath as the giant peered through the window of her neighbor’s house across the street. She watched as the giant pulled what looked like a jar out of the suitcase, unscrewed it, and poured whatever was in the jar into the end of the trumpet. Then she watched as the giant poked the trumpet thing through the window, took a deep breath, and blew the other end.
She caught eyes with the giant as he turned to pick up the suitcase. She let out a yelp and hid under her blankets. She froze. All was silent. After a minute, she lifted the corner of the blanket to peek out, and she saw its face. And then its hand. Before she knew it, she was cradled in its palm. The giant stowed his trumpet, picked up his suitcase, and off he ran with Sophie in hand to Giant Country.
Roald Dahl is considered “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century.” And an impressive catalog of titles like Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and James and the Giant Peach, among others, it's no surprise that he is held in such high regard, well that, and the fact that his books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
His ingenious mastery of nonsense words is truly magnificent, showcasing his skill as a master creator of such linguistic delights. This literary device is prominently employed throughout many of his works, with The BFG being a prime example of his masterful execution.
In this delightful and whimsical book, Dahl once again partners with the illustrious illustrator Quentin Blake. Blake's collaboration with Dahl has been instrumental in breathing life into Dahl's words in other timeless tales such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, among others.
Blake's distinctive cartoonish art style is both unique and instantly recognizable. His illustrations bring a special charm to all of Dahl's books. Blake himself describes his drawings as a “freewheeling sort of drawing meant to look as if it was done in the spur of a moment.” There is no doubt in my mind that Dahl’s books would be lacking without the magical touch of Quentin Blake.
Blake and Dahl epitomize the dream team, serving as a model for any aspiring author and illustrator partnerships.
If you liked this book, check out our "The Book vs. The Movie" blog to see how it compares to the movie!
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