Fantastic Mr Fox - Roald Dahl

“Down in the valley there were three farms. The owners of these farms had done well. They were rich men. They were also nasty men. Their names were Farmer Boggis, Farmer Bunce and Farmer Bean.” Life is good for Mr Fox – living in a hole beneath a tree in the woods which overlooked the three vast farms of Boggis, Bunce and Bean; he lived there with Mrs Fox and their four fox children. Every day he would ask Mrs Fox what she wanted for dinner – be it a plump chicken or two from Boggis, a fat brace of ducks from Bunce or a huge turkey from Bean, and whatever Mrs Fox decided on would be taken by ... more

Roald Dahl is the grand master of the children's story. First published in 1970, 'Fantastic Mr Fox' may not have the reknown of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', but it is a tale full of excitement and imagination. After almost forty years, it can still compete with the best of children's literature that is being published today. Before we even meet Mr Fox, Roald Dahl introduces us to three obnoxious farmers who go by the names of Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Dahl really goes to town with his characterization here. Farmer Boggis keeps chickens and is a prime specimen of obesity because he eats ... more

Christmas is coming and you may be looking for those little extra stocking fillers for 5-7 year olds. I know toys and games get played with first. How about a wonderful little story for when the excitement dies down? If you are a very accomplished story teller as most primary teachers inevitably become, you can pick a book from the fiction shelves almost at random and transform it into an unforgettable experience for children. If you are less accomplished or simply more cautious, then you may want to read the book yourself and quietly rehearse how you will bring it alive for audiences large ... more

Being a parent has so many advantages, doesn't it? You know all the best ones… watching your children grow, and being so proud, having someone around who is actually a part of you - of course I could go on forever. And another great advantage is rediscovering children's literature with them. My daughter is three and three quarters and a few nights ago, over a series of four nights, I read to her the Roald Dahl classic 'The Fantastic Mr Fox.' Now, while I was growing up I read Dahl's other classics, such as 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' but this one eluded me. So I think I was more ... more

So there I was standing in my hallway debating what I should write my next opinion on and I will be quiet honest I was stuck for most of the afternoon, I have got a League Of Gentlemen Series 2 opinion all ready to go but felt that I should put something up that people who have got to know me over the last few weeks wouldn’t really expect from me. So I thought about topics I’m interested in but which people out there wouldn’t know I’m really into, I have in the past worked for a very large bookstore and really have a great passion for books, trawling through my ... more