‘Scrumdiddlyumptious World of Roald Dahl.’

The theme of our school show this year was an exploration of the ‘Scrumdiddlyumptious World of Roald Dahl.’ Children delight in Dahl’s collection of stories, each with an element of wonder and wackiness. Just like traditional fairy tales, the storylines address the childhood fears of loneliness and abandonment. The happy endings are achieved with each of the child characters having a chance to triumph over adversity, through determination and resilience. 

You may well be aware that Dahl’s work has faced intense scrutiny and partial ‘cancellation’ over the years, primarily due to prejudiced remarks in some of his stories. This prompted the 2023 editing of his books to remove offensive language. 

His Publisher, Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company, owned by Netflix, altered hundreds of words in his books. They removed references to body size, mental health, gender and race.

Whilst his books were edited to be more inclusive, this action brought a backlash regarding censorship, prompting the publisher to release the original versions alongside the revised ones. 

Dahl knew exactly how to write for children which is why his literary legacy remains intact, and why we find his work of value at Ocean View. Important features to note are the: 

Empowering of Child Characters: Dahl’s stories frequently feature children who are underestimated, yet they outsmart, outwit and overcome cruel adults (e.g., Matilda, The Witches).

Unique Voice and Style: His writing is described as “anarchic” and “exuberant,” utilising wordplay and vivid language to engage young readers.

Accessible Imagination: His stories are deeply imaginative, which appeals to children’s natural sense of wonder.

Relatable Themes of Justice: His books frequently feature themes of justice, where good ultimately wins over evil, providing comfort and clear moral lessons.

Humour and Mischief: He uses “playful rudeness” and dark humor, which resonates with children’s sense of fun and sometimes mischievous nature.

The long term collaboration with the artist Quentin Blake, whose spontaneous and evocative illustrations capture action and feeling of Dahl’s stories.

Roald Dahl; Quick Facts

• Dahl was born in Wales in 1915 to Norwegian parents.
• He served as fighter pilot and a spy in World War II.
• Roald Dahl was a giant! Not quite like the BFG, but he was 6 foot 6 inches tall! 
• Dahl wrote many of his stories in a little shed at the bottom of his garden, known as his ‘writing hut.’
• Dahl wrote for around four hours every single day.
• He never learned how to type. He preferred to do all his writing in an old red book using a pencil.
• When Roald Dahl died in 1990, he was buried with some of his favourite things, including a power drill, chocolate, snooker cues and his writing pencils.
• Dahl invented over 250 new words.
• There’s even an official Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary to help you tell your snozzcumbers from your snozzberries.
• Writing wasn’t his strong point at school, according to his teachers!
• Many of Dahl’s characters were based on real people. The grandmother in ‘The Witches’ was inspired by and based on his mother. The little girl in The BFG was named after his granddaughter, Sophie.