bfg book review summary

by Roald Dahl

• The BFG Summary

As the book starts, a young girl named Sophie lies in bed in an orphanage. She can’t sleep, and sees a strange sight in the street. A giant man is walking in the street, carrying a suitcase and what looks like a trumpet. He sees Sophie, who runs to her bed and tries to hide. This doesn’t work, and the giant picks her up through the window. Then, he starts to run incredibly fast, until he reaches a large cave, which he enters.

When he sets Sophie down, she begins to plead for her life, believing that the giant will eat her. The giant laughs, and explains that most giants do eat human beings, and that the people’s origins affect their taste. For example, people from Greece taste greasy. The giant then says that he will not eat her, as he is the BFG, or the Big Friendly Giant.

The BFG then explains that he must stay with her forever, as no one can know of his existence. He warns her of the dangers of leaving his cave, as his neighbors are sure to eat her if they catch her. The BFG then explains what he was doing with the trumpet and suitcase. He catches dreams, stores them in the cave, and then gives the good ones to children all around the world. He destroys the bad ones. The BFG then explains that he only eats snozzcumbers, which are disgusting vegetables that taste of frogskins. Another giant, the Bloodbottler, then storms in. Sophie hides in a snozzcumber and is nearly eaten by the Bloodbottler.

After this, Sophie and the BFG vow to make the other giants disappear. The BFG and Sophie then partake in some frobscottle, which is a carbonated liquid that causes extreme flatulence. After this, the two go to Dream Country to catch some dreams and the BFG shows Sophie his collection of dreams. Later, Sophie has an idea on how to beat the other giants. She has the BFG give the Queen of England a dream that shows the malevolent giants. This frightens the Queen and wakes her up, at which point Sophie explains that her dream was real. The Queen then vows to help the two.

With other countries' assistance, they construct a giant pit. With the BFG’s help, they lure the other giants into the trap, where they can’t eat anyone else. Instead, they must eat snozzcumbers. At the end, it is revealed that the BFG and Sophie live in a mansion, where Sophie is teaching the BFG how to read and write, and the BFG is actually writing the book.

The BFG Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The BFG is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The mood is mysterious and exciting.

How many dreams did the BFG mix together?

The BFG mixed about fifty dreams together.

Sophie sat watching him but said nothing. Inside the big jar, lying on the bottom of it, she could clearly see about fifty of those oval sea-green jellyish shapes , all pulsing gently in and out, some...

The BFG's name?

The BFG introduces himself as the Big Friendly Giant, but the other giants call him Runt.

Suddenly, a tremendous thumping noise came from outside the cave entrance and a voice like thunder shouted, ‘Runt! Is you there, Runt? I is hearing you...

Study Guide for The BFG

The BFG study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The BFG
• Character List

Essays for The BFG

The BFG essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The BFG by Roald Dahl.

• The Cannibalization of Youth in Classic Fairy Tales from Grimm, Dahl, and Others

Wikipedia Entries for The BFG

• Introduction
• 2023 censorship controversy
• References in other Roald Dahl books

Roald Dahl , Quentin Blake  ( Illustrator )

199 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1982

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

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Friends & Following

Community reviews.

Don't gobblefunk around with words.

Meanings is not important, said the BFG. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.

Two wrongs don’t make a right

The matter with human beans,’ the BFG went on, ‘is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything unless they is actually seeing it right in front of their own schnozzles

‘Human beans is the only animals that is killing their own kind. Even poisnowse snakes is never killing each other. Nor is the most fearsome creatures like tigers and rhinostossterisses. None of them is ever killing their own kind. Has you ever thought about that?’ - The BFG

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The BFG Summary & Study Guide

The BFG Summary & Study Guide Description

Sophie, a young orphaned girl, is lying awake one night with a moonbeam shining in her eyes. She gets up from her bed in the dormitory of the orphanage where she lives to close her curtains and sees a giant coming down the street. She watches as the giant sticks something that looks like a trumpet through the bedroom window of some neighbor children and blows. When the giant turns he sees Sophie and snatches her from her room. The giant takes Sophie to Giant Country where he lives in a cave.

Once there, Sophie learns that the giant is called the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG) because he does not eat people, unlike the nine other giants living in Giant Country. The other giants are much larger and uglier than the BFG and they often bully him. These giants travel nightly to countries around the world to eat people. Sophie isn’t able to go back to the orphanage because the BFG is afraid she’ll tell others about the existence of giants and he’ll be forced to live in a zoo.

The BFG tells Sophie that he often travels to Dream Country to collect dreams, which he places in jars and blows into the windows of children. This is what she saw him doing with the trumpet in her village. He takes her to collect dreams and she finds out he can also catch nightmares. The two devise a plan to mix up a nightmare for the Queen of England to convince her of the existence of giants so that they can stop the giants from ever eating another human being.

Sophie and the BFG deliver the dream to the Queen who treats them very kindly. She orders the Army and the Air Force to follow the BFG to Giant Country to capture the giants. The BFG and Sophie lead the military there and they tie up the giants to bring them back to England where they will live out their lives in captivity.

Upon their return to England, the giants are placed in a huge pit where they will eat nothing but snozzcumbers, a terrible tasting vegetable, for the rest of their lives. The Queen has a huge house built for the BFG and a small cottage built for Sophie. Sophie teaches the BFG how to speak, read, and write better and he becomes an author.

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The BFG Summary

How it all goes down.

Our story begins during the Witching Hour, a time of night when humans are asleep and creatures from the shadows get to roam the world. Probably not the best time to poke around (if you’re a human), but that’s what a little girl named Sophie is up to. She peeks out the window of her bedroom, which is in an orphanage, and sees a giant blowing what looks like a trumpet into the window across the street. She runs back into her bed, but guess what? It’s too late.

The giant sticks his hand into her window, lifts her up, and carries her to a different world. Not your average middle-of-the-night experience.

When he puts her down, she’s on the giant table in a cave. She begs the giant not to eat her, and after the giant gets sidetracked, talking about the many ways giants like to eat humans, he reveals that he is the Big Friendly Giant. In other words, he’s the only giant who doesn’t do that kind of thing.

Way to kill the tension, BFG.

So if he wasn’t looking for a snack, why did the Big Friendly Giant kidnap Sophie? Simple enough: because she saw him. He’s pretty scared of the human world finding out about giants and putting him in a zoo. And he has a point: that’s probably just what would happen. He tells Sophie she’ll have to live with him forever, so that she’ll never tell the world about giants. Forever’s no big deal, right?

Surprisingly, Sophie isn’t too into that idea. On the other hand, since she’s from a terrible orphanage, she’s not in a big hurry to return, either.

She’s also curious about the BFG. So she keeps her cool and asks him a bunch of questions. Like how the BFG found her when she was hiding in bed. The BFG says he heard her heart beating. His giant ears, it turns out, are not just for comic effect. He can hear ladybugs walking and ants talking to each other. You’d think that would be distracting when he’s having a conversation, but it seems to work out okay.

Oh, and his other secret: he’s a dream-blowing giant. Every night, he uses his trumpet to blow good dreams into children’s bedrooms.

Pretty cool guy, as it turns out.

The BFG is hungry, so he eats some of a bumpy, spiky vegetable called a snozzcumber. The BFG is not a snozzcumber fan, but it’s the only vegetable that grows in Giant Country, and he doesn’t believe in stealing food from humans.

Sophie tries a piece of snozzcumber, too. And spits it right back out. Guess snozzcumber is about as tasty as regular cucumber.

But it turns out to be a good thing the snozzcumber pieces are on the table, because they’re a perfect place to hide when another giant with the sweet, winning name of the Bloodbottler stomps into the cave. The Bloodbottler heard the BFG talking and thinks he captured a human for a pet. How’d he figure that one out? He starts looking around the cave for Sophie so he can eat her.

Sophie manages to scoop seeds out of a larger snozzcumber piece and hides directly inside it. But the BFG doesn’t know that, and tries to convince the Bloodbottler to eat a snozzcumber. His thinking: maybe the grossness of the snozzcumber will drive the Bloodbottler out of the cave.

The result? The Bloodbottler takes a bite with Sophie in it, but luckily, the snozzcumber is so gross that he spits her out. Then, as predicted, he runs from the cave.

The BFG and Sophie relieve their stress by drinking frobscottle—in other words, soda for giants that makes you fart. (It’s okay—“whizzpopping” is considered polite in giant culture.)

As a post-whizzpopping treat, the BFG takes Sophie to Dream Country, a misty land where he catches dreams for his collection. He gets a good one but also accidentally bottles a “trogglehumper,” meaning nightmare. See what we mean about language being a little kooky?

The BFG doesn’t want to release the trogglehumper where it could float into any human’s mind, so he blows it at a sleeping giant named the Fleshlumpeater. To the BFG and Sophie’s delight, the Fleshlumpeater kicks so much in his dream that all the giants get into a fight.

The BFG takes Sophie back to his cave to show her his dream collection, but soon, the giants are running past the cave. It’s people-eating time. They shout to the BFG that they’re going to England to eat schoolchildren. This, for obvious reasons, upsets Sophie.

Sophie thinks they should go to the Queen of England and ask her to stop the giants, which is a perfectly logical solution for a British citizen under the age of ten to think of. But the BFG thinks she won’t believe them. Which, sorry to say, folks, is probably more accurate as far as royalty is concerned.

So Sophie comes up with a plan. She asks the BFG to mix a dream for the Queen that shows the boys and girls getting eaten and also shows Sophie and the BFG ready to help. Then the BFG will put Sophie down in the Queen’s room, so the Queen will see her when she wakes up and know that her dream is real.

It’s a long shot, but the BFG goes for it. (Mostly because of the prospect of not having to eat snozzcumbers ever again.) He mixes the dream and carries Sophie to the palace in his ear. Sophie directs him to the Queen’s back garden, and the BFG blows the dream and sets Sophie on the windowsill of the Queen’s bedroom.

The Queen wakes up in a panic, and then her maid panics when the Queen tells her that she dreamed about boarding school children being eaten. The missing boarding school children made front-page news that morning.

Then they find Sophie in the window, and the maid almost loses her mind. The Queen stays remarkably calm (that’s what Queens do, after all). She even keeps her cool when Sophie calls the BFG to their window. She simply invites them both to breakfast.

The butler, Mr. Tibbs, faces the intimidating task of prepping to have a giant dine in the ballroom. He makes a table out of a ping pong table and grandfather clocks, and a chair from a piano and chest of drawers. He runs into trouble when the BFG gobbles all his food in one bite, but he keeps his cool (and keeps the chef busy). Way to improvise, royal staff.

The three sit down to dine, Sophie wearing a borrowed former princess’s dress and the Queen’s sapphire brooch. The BFG and Sophie tell the Queen about the giants. After calling the King of Sweden and the Sultan of Baghdad to confirm their story about who’s been eaten in the past few nights, the Queen calls the Heads of the Army and the Air Force.

The Heads want to bomb the giants, but the Queen doesn’t believe in killing anyone. So the BFG has the army and air force follow him to Giant Country in the afternoon, when the giants are asleep. The men tie the giants up. But it can’t all be that simple: they have trouble tying the Fleshlumpeater, and he wakes up.

He lifts up a soldier and is about to eat him, but Sophie saves the day by jabbing the Queen’s brooch into his foot. The Fleshlumpeater drops the soldier, and the BFG convinces him that he was bitten by a snake. The Fleshlumpeater isn’t the most questioning of giants, so he believes the BFG, even when the BFG gets him to close his eyes while the soldiers tie him up. #DreamTeam.

The soldiers fly the giants back to England and lower them into a deep pit. The BFG gives the royal gardener snozzcumber seeds so they’ll have an endless supply of snozzcumbers to feed to the giants.

The Queen makes the BFG The Royal Dreamblower and has a giant house built for him near her palace, with a little cottage built next door for Sophie. The now-famous BFG gets an education and starts writing about his life. And we learn that he wrote the book that we just read. No wonder it was such a clever mix of English and Giantese, right?

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by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1982

Dahl's elemental fix on kids' consciousness gets this off to a surefire shivery start, with orphan Sophie, awake st the witching hour, snatched from her bed by a giant hand and carried off to a land of giants clear off the last page of the atlas. But Sophie's kidnapper is really friendly (hence BFG for Big Friendly Giant) and does not eat humans as she had feared, but occupies himself gathering and dispensing dreams. He also expresses himself in a mixed-up, cutesy manner that is simply tiresome. Nearby, however, are nine still-bigger giants who do eat humans ("I is a nice and jumbly giant" but "human beans is like strawbunkles and cream to those giants," says the BFG)—and it's to protect the world from them that Sophie and the BFG hatch a scheme: He will mix a dream from his collection and send it to the Queen of England to apprise her of the threat; then, when she awakens, Sophie will be on her windowsill, and the BFG waiting in the garden, to convince her that the dream is true. And so it is that we find Sophie and the BFG breakfasting with Her Majesty . . . and the BFG violating all decorum, even to letting fly a glumptious whizzpopper (kids would call it a fart). Nevertheless the Queen is impressed and sends off her military men, who, under the BFG's direction, rope the sleeping giants and haul them back by helicopter to be imprisoned in a giant pit. This is all told in Dahl's higgledy-piggledy home-made manner, which is rarely disarming here despite the pandering. And it's hard to find the bumble-tongued BFG endearing.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1982

ISBN: 0374304696

Page Count: 219

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1982

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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More by Alice Harman

BOOK REVIEW

by Alice Harman ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

developed by Roald Dahl ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

WRECKING BALL

From the diary of a wimpy kid series , vol. 14.

by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019

Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.

The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.

When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019

GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney

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SEEN & HEARD

FAMILIES BELONG

by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020

A joyful celebration.

Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.

The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together , frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart

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Girl befriends goodhearted giant in funny fantasy.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles sh

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of ch

Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Peps

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobsc

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy…

Educational Value

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles should rise up or sink down, it will make kids think about the science of bubbles. When the BFG talks about how humans in different regions taste, readers will learn names of different countries.

Positive Messages

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG seems very scary at first, but the more he and Sophie get to know one another, the better they understand each other's language.

Positive Role Models

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of gold. The BFG risks his own safety to save human lives.

Violence & Scariness

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of children. Their names underscore their brutality: Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, Childchewer, Meatdripper, Gizzaardgulper, Maidmasher, Manhugger, and Butcher Boy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Pepsi.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobscottle like it is a "bottle of rare wine." Three men drink too much beer and fall into a pit of giants.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy," "Delumptious," "Whizzpopping") that could be challenging for young independent readers to decipher, but the book makes a great read-aloud. There are some scary and suspenseful moments for little Sophie, and readers learn that the bigger giants eat children, but there's no graphic violence. Alcohol is mentioned a couple of times, but none is consumed "onscreen." One small warning for parents of impressionable children, though: Sophie and the BFG debate the delights and offenses of burping vs. farting, and a couple of scenes when the BFG passes gas are among the funniest in the book. The book does include lots of humor, as well as a brave hero and heroine, and wonderful, unlikely friendships. The BFG was made into an animated film (1989) and a live action/CGI movie (2016) directed by Steven Spielberg .

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (10)
• Kids say (28)

Based on 10 parent reviews

Can be read two ways...

Really good, funny book, what's the story.

Roald Dahl's THE BFG begins late at night when a little orphan girl named Sophie is the only one awake. She goes to the window and sees a giant walking down the street, carrying a suitcase and peering into people's windows. When the giant sees her, he grabs her and takes her back to his cave in Giant Country. Sophie is afraid that she'll be eaten, but her new friend, the Big Friendly Giant, explains in his own sideways version of English that though the other giants in this land are twice his size and eat children all over the world, he eats nothing but disgusting snozzcumbers -- a mythical vegetable.

Sophie also learns all about the ways the BFG captures dreams in Dream Country and secretly blows dreams into people's sleeping heads. One day, Sophie finds out that the other giants are planning to gallop to England, where they'll eat up lots of children. That's when Sophie and the BFG hatch a plan to mobilize Her Majesty the Queen's soldiers to stop the kid-eating giants once and for all.

Is It Any Good?

This funny fantasy about a girl and a friendly giant has loads of appeal for young readers, from action to wordplay to gross-out humor. Each of the late Roald Dahl's books has a special quality that sets it apart, and in this case, it's silly, smart, hilarious playing with language. The BFG has never been to school, and "sometimes is saying things a little squiggly." Kids who got a laugh out of Willy Wonka's reference to "snozzberries" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will find even more to giggle about here. All of the babblement makes The BFG a delightful book to read out loud. The story also has plenty of suspense (for youngsters) even as it just keeps getting funnier, all the way to the rewarding finish.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the funny things the giant says in The BFG . Do any of them seem familiar? Do you like the way he talks?

What do Sophie and the BFG have in common that helps them become good friends?

Have you read other books by Roald Dahl ? What does The BFG have in common with the other Dahl books that you like?

Book Details

• Author : Roald Dahl
• Illustrator : Quentin Blake
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Publication date : May 21, 2006
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 11
• Number of pages : 208
• Last updated : December 13, 2018

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Book Review

• Adventure , Fantasy , Humor

Readability Age Range

• Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
• Booktrust 100 Best Books for Children, 2014

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Eight-year-old Sophie peers out the window of her orphanage one night and sees something terrifying. A huge, dark shadow is coming down the street. A gigantic hand reaches through the window and plucks her from her bed. She squirms as the giant man holding her hurries to his cave in Giant Land.

Sophie soon discovers the giant isn’t planning to eat her as she’d feared. He is a big, friendly giant (or BFG). Unlike the other nine much larger and more horrifying giants that live in Giant Land, the BFG is fairly civilized. While the others are big, smelly, hairy and wear loincloths, he dresses in regular clothes. While they scour the world each night in search of people to devour, he doesn’t eat humans. But like all the giants, he has a strange, mixed up way of speaking that sometimes baffles the little girl.

The BFG tells Sophie if she wants to be safe, she must never let the other giants know she exists. He feels sad for her as she tells him about losing her parents and the sorrows of orphanage life. She asks him what he was doing in her town, walking the streets at night with a long, thin trumpet and a suitcase. He explains that he can hear things very keenly with his big ears. He can even hear dreams floating in the air. He collects them and, with his trumpet, blows good dreams into children’s rooms at night.

A giant named Bloodbottler enters the BFG’s cave, and Sophie hides inside an unpleasant vegetable called a snozzcumber. Bloodbottler takes a bite of the snozzcumber and spits it out, spewing Sophie across the room. After the unsuspecting Bloodbottler leaves, the BFG cleans Sophie off. The two begin hatching a plan to get rid of the other giants.

One day after being tossed around by the other giants as they would a toy, the BFG takes Sophie with him to Dream Country. He shows her how he catches dreams with his net and bottles them, labeling them so he’ll know what each is about. He even catches one bad dream and gives it to a giant named Fleshlumpeater back home. The giant’s thrashing during his nightmare ignites a brawl between the nine giants but still does nothing to eliminate them.

Sophie suggests they tell the Queen of England how the giants are snatching and eating people. She and the BFG decide to create a dream for the queen. In it, the queen will see giants eating English children. The dream will tell her about the BFG and how he can help her capture the giants. Finally, the dream will reveal a little girl sitting on her windowsill, who will lead the queen to the BFG. Once she awakens, she will find Sophie on her windowsill and know the dream was true. The giant mixes many dreams together to get just the right story for the queen’s dream.

The plan goes off without a hitch, and the surprised queen allows Sophie to introduce her to the BFG. After the queen makes arrangements for Sophie and the BFG to have breakfast with her, she calls a few other countries to confirm that they, like England, have had groups of humans go missing in the past few days. She is convinced the BFG’s story is true.

The queen sends her military with nine helicopters to follow Sophie and the BFG to Giant Land. The sleeping giants are tied up and carried by helicopter back to England, where an enormous pit has been dug to contain them. The BFG brings his collection of dreams back to England with him, as well as a bag of the horrible snozzcumbers. He says he will help the royal gardener grow them so the giants can eat them forever.

World leaders send gifts of thanks to the BFG and Sophie. The queen has a special home built for the BFG and a cottage next door for Sophie. The BFG also gets a special room for storing his dreams, and people all over the world write him letters asking him to visit them. Tourists come at feeding time to hear the giants eat their snozzcumbers. The only tragedy occurs when three drunk men climb over the safety fence and fall in to the giant pit. Sophie teaches the BFG to read and write properly. As the book ends, readers discover the author is the BFG.

Christian Beliefs

The BFG tells one of the giants to say his prayers as the BFG pretends to remove a viper from the brute’s leg.

Other Belief Systems

Lying in the darkness, Sophie remembers how someone once told her about the witching hour. They said it was a moment in the middle of the night when all the dark things came out of hiding and had the world to themselves. The BFG tells Sophie that giants aren’t born. They simply appear, the same way as the moon and the stars. The BFG collects dreams to give to children. He takes Sophie into Dream Country and shows her how to catch and bottle them. Later, he and Sophia give the queen a dream of giants eating English children and how the BFG can help her capture the giants.

Authority Roles

Sophie’s parents died when she was a baby. Mrs. Clonkers, who runs the orphanage where she lives, punishes the children by locking them in a dark, rat-filled cellar without food or drink. The gentle BFG protects and cares for Sophie, who thinks of him as a father. Despite the strange circumstances, the queen handles the BFG’s visit with decorum. She wants to ensure justice is done, but she refuses to set a bad example by ordering the giants be murdered.

Profanity & Violence

The words gosh, darn and golly appear once or twice.

Sexual Content

The BFG kisses Sophie on the cheek.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

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The BFG by Roald Dahl Review

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Roald Dahl was a GIANT of an author as well as a man, being 6ft 6” (1.98m) tall. He was a master storyteller who has been delighting children and adults alike with his writing for decades (his books have sold upwards of 250 million copies worldwide). His scrumdiddliumtious tales are still delighting readers today, long after his death in 1990.

In 1982 he published The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) as a full children’s novel, with a short version of it originally being told as a bedtime story in the 1975 children’s book Danny, Champion of the World.

Sophie is an eight-year-old orphaned girl who lives in an children’s home with several other girls. One night when she cannot sleep, and despite the orders of the cruel disciplinarian orphanage owner Mrs Clonkers, she gets out of bed and looks out of the window over the deserted London streets. But the witching hour is no time for people to be awake, especially young children, and she sees something she shouldn’t! A 24ft giant with a wrinkly face, enormous ears and a dark cloak is wandering around carrying a suitcase and a trumpet, looking in windows and occasionally blowing in something he takes from his suitcase into the rooms of the sleeping occupants. Scared, Sophie jumps back into her bed and hides under the covers. But she has been noticed by the giant who promptly reaches into her window and plucks her off her bed, whisking her away to his cave in a desolate strange and distant land – a faraway land known as Giant Country.

Sophie is only a small girl, and the giant is, well, a 24ft giant of a man so she is terrified that he is going to eat her. She pleads for life, but the giant just laughs. The giant explains that whilst most giants eat human beans, The BFG prefers eating snozzcumbers and has no interest in eating her but the other nine man-eating giants outside of his cave most certainly will if they see her. The nine other giants are not so nice though and are twice the size of The BFG, who spends his days catching dreams, letting loose with the most tremendously loud whizzpoppers (farts to you and me), and eating the vilest food ever created in the form of snozzcumbers. As giants need very little sleep, he spends his nights blowing good dreams into the windows of sleeping children (at least he is not blowing whizzpoppers through the windows).

The other giants don’t even have as nice and friendly names as The BFG, they are:

• The Fleshlumpeater
• The Bloodbottler
• The Manhugger
• The Meatdripper
• The Childchewer
• The Butcher Boy
• The Maidmasher
• The Bonecruncher
• The Gizzardgulper

Sophie is told, in muddled speech (the giants speak in a language known as Gobblefunk), that she is now in Giant Country for the rest of her life as if she were to be taken back home she would tell everybody about the giants, and they would be hunted. If that wasn’t upsetting enough, she is also told that the nine 50ft man-eating giants just outside the door travel to different countries throughout the world every night devouring human beans (that would be human beings in English), especially children human beans.

Sophie is appalled at the news of the giants travelling around devouring chidlers (children) and hatches a plan with The BFG to visit London and the Queen and stop the other giants.

Overall, bash my eyebrows, The BFG is an excellent GIANT of a story that young readers will find delumptious. With Dahl’s expressive and inventive use of language, children will love the tale of Sophie, The BFG and the nine man-eating giants.

Whilst it is a dark tale of child kidnap, bullying (The BFG is bullied by the other giants because he is a lot smaller than them and doesn’t eat human beans), man-eating giants and friendship, the story is delightfully told using eight year old Sophie as the brave, sassy, intelligent and curious hero.

If I were to speak like The BFG in Gobblefunk then I is thunking that this is an excellent tale of friendship and doing what is right, one that even Dahl’s Chickens may enjoy – sorry, that pesky giant again, I obviously mean Charles Dickens.

A very clever story with interesting and well-developed characters written with Dahl’s trademark dark humour and expressive use of language that we all love. You will have to read it and let me know Am I Right or Am I left (if you can’t speak in Gobblefunk, that means right or wrong).

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £9.99 (Hardback) / £6.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)

Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

Click here to read more reviews of books by Roald Dahl

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The Literary Edit

Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl

Unlike his novels Matilda and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, both of which have been made into film adaptations starring Hollywood A-Listers including Jonny Depp and Danny De Vito, The BFG has been untouched since the 1989 animated version which, along with the book, has captured the hearts of both adults and children worldwide.

First published in 1982, it tells the story of Sophie, who is snatched one morning from her orphanage by the Big Friendly Giant. He takes her back to his home in Giant Country where she encounters lots of strange goings-on, including child-eating giants and snozzcumbers. The BFG reveals to Sophie that he is the only friendly giant in Giant Country and secretly collects dreams, which he then distributes to the bedrooms of children all over the world. An unlikely friendship develops between Sophie and the BFG in what is ultimately a tale of trust and of friendship.

Known for his ability to both scare and delight readers worldwide, Dahl is the only children’s author to appear four times in the BBC Big Read and having written such an abundance of charming tales it’s easy to see why. In a time when many children are brought up watching television rather than reading books, I’m going to end on my favourite Roald Dahl quote:

“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

go throw your TV set away,

and in its place you can install,

a lovely bookcase on the wall.”

About The BFG

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

About Roald Dahl

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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2 comments on “Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl”

one of my favorite books in elementary school. read it to my 4year old for bed this summer. he was on the edge of the bed when the giant comes down the street in the opening chapter.

I never actually read this one when I was younger though I did adore the film – my favourite Roald Dahl books when I was younger were Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger!

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The BFG by Roald Dahl - review

This book is about a giant that sees a girl, and the giant has got a trumpet but it makes no sound. The hand of the giant picks up a girl called Sophie and they go to Giant Land.

Afterwards Sophie sees that there are more giants. But the other giants are the bad ones. The good giant is called the BFG (the Big Friendly Giant), and he is a dream catcher!

My favourite part is when the giants start to fight. It's a very very funny book.

It's a brilliant bedtime story book. I recommend this book for all ages. Want to tell the world about a book you've read? J oin the site and send us your review!

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My introduction to Dahl….

An ongoing bone of contention in a couple of the #BookTwub discussions has been the feud between fans of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl as to which is the greatest children’s author.  One week Blyton came out on top but the following week Dahl triumphed.  I have been firmly on the side of Blyton – as a child I loved The Famous Five, Secret Seven and the Malory Towers adventures.  I pooh-poohed any suggestion that Dahl could possibly be as good, this was from a position of ignorance though as my only Dahl experience had been from reading his collected short stories .  Darren decided to force the issue and came home from work one day with two box-sets.  One was the first ten Famous Five novels, the other 15 Roald Dahl children’s books.  I was challenged to read them all and come up with a fully informed conclusion.

What first struck me about The BFG was the richness of the language used and the inventiveness of the language created.  It was great fun to read words like “Whoppsy-whiffling”, “squifflerotters” and “snozzcumbers” out loud.  I can imagine the delighted giggles from children having this story read to them.

I can also very easily imagine the nightmares of children who are completely terrified by the thought of nine giants with names including The Childchewer, The Bonecruncher and The Fleshlumpeater striding around the streets looking for tasty families to munch on.  Dahl doesn’t tone things down in order to make the story more palatable for sensitive readers and I love The BFG for that.  The book won’t be suitable for every child out there but for the ones who do read it, it is a gruesome and fun story.

The illustrations by Quentin Blake compliment the words perfectly.  My particular favourite is the one of the nine giants being carried off by helicopters, Chinooks I think but can’t be sure.  The drawings add richness to the book and it would have been a less enjoyable experience without them.

As an ardent Royalist I was pleased to see Her Majesty The Queen playing a prominent and heroic role in The BFG.  Next time someone asks why we should retain the Monarchy I’m going to point them to this book – no President would ever be quite so sensible (tongue only very slightly in cheek).

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Home / Find a book / The BFG

By Roald Dahl, and and, Quentin Blake

1472 reviews

Every night, when the world is sleeping, big gruesome giants guzzle up whoppsy-whiffling human beans. And there’s only one giant who can stop them – the BFG . He’s the kindest giant there is and, with his friend Sophie in his top pocket, he sets out to rid the world of the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater and all their rotsome friends forever…

I enjoyed this book. I found some of the made up words quite tricky so Mummy read some of the chapters and I read some chapters. I liked it when Mummy read to Oscar and I in bed. I liked to imagine the BFG making a dream for me. Although at first I thought the BFG was scary he turned out to be nice.

I like how they make up words in the book because they use real words but replace some letters to make it sound different. I give 4/5 stars and would recommend to over age 6.

One of my favourite books! The Giant was friendly and funny. My favourite character was Sophie, because she was a friend with the Giant.

I love this book because it's so funny. I definitely recommend everyone yo read this! Love Roald Dahl books!

My favourite part is at the end when the BFG and Sophie get lots of animals as thank you presents and the BFG gets an elephant. I also like it when the palace butler has to make a big table and large breakfast for the BFG.

It's fun I read it at a sleep over with my friend just me and her d it

This was an interesting book and had many wonderful characters

I like this book! I would reccomend.

I like the story about their friendship.

I loved the idea of dreams in jars. The Queen being in it was funny.

Found this really funny. A bit scary at times! Sometimes hard to read what BFG said.

This book is really exciting and a bit scary. BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is very kind and looks after Sophie but the other giants are not I think everyone should read this even if they've seen the film. I love the way BFG talks.

This book is one the bet , well written book I've ever seen as well as Lottie brooks . Honestly , I've read this book a few times already but i was on holiday in India and read it to my sister with my mum it made me realise how good Roald Dahl books are !

Amazing I loved it. Because they stopped the giants from eating the children

It was pretty strange. I liked the big big whizpoppers. And I liked the snozcumber part.

I like the BFG book when the little girl first sees the big giant . And when she gets taken to the sleepy world . I would love to experience if it was true .

I would recommend this book. I love the BFG's funny language and when he goes to visit the Queen.

A girl named Sophie who got pulled away from home to a orphanage by the bfg the big friendly giant. He tells who he is but terrifys his neighbours and even other giants who eat children

The BFG was my favourite The book was fiction

My favourite character was the Queen because when she heard the horrible news she was quick and efficient. I would recommend it to anyone because it is a quick read and is very fun to read.

this is a scary book because a tall man would come and take you out of your bed at night. It is a fiction book. I was interested in this book.

The most imaginative book. Great for sharing and using phonics to sound out unusual words. Great fun!!

I liked the book because they had nice illustrations. I would highly recommend this book to other children who haven't read it because it's a really good book.

I really enjoyed the ending!

very good mystical book

I loved this book it was really good, my favourite part was when the BFG drank the Frobscottle and it made him whizzpop! It made me laugh.

About a girl who was taken to a world of giants

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Book Review: The BFG by Roald Dahl

I’m thrilled to officially introduce you to my superhero son, Matt. He’s been part of this blog since it’s beginning with kids crafts , and a craft video as well. He’s my little bookworm and I’m happy to have him sharing reviews each month for some of his favorite books. I’m going to let him take it away…

Today my dad asked me what makes me happy . I said, “Well, a good book always cheers me up.” Then my dad had a great idea. Why not write book reviews for my mom’s blog since I love reading so much. I thought it was a great idea and decided to get started. I just had to think of what book I would choose to review. It was hard to choose just one!

I am going to review one of my favorites, The BFG . This book is a Roald Dahl classic. This book features a giant called, the BFG, who snatches up a little girl named Sophie. Together Sophie and the BFG, which stands for the “big friendly giant”, go on an adventure filled with angry 50-foot tall man eating giants, the Queen of England, and the place where dreams are made, literally.

My eight-year-old sister has recently read this book. Here is a little interview I had with her:

Warning this part contains spoilers!  

Me : What do think the best part of the book was? Lucy : When Sophie bravely stabbed a giant in the foot, when they went to collect the dreams so they could give them to the children of the world, and when Sophie awoke in the witching hour.

Me : What was the scariest part of the book for you? Lucy : For me the scariest part was when I found out that the giants loved to eat people and leave their bones in their beds.

Me : What age group do you think this book is appropriate for and why? Lucy : It’s a great book for kids about 8 and older. It’s a great book for that age group because the BFG isn’t educated and talks with made up words sometimes.

I think that this book is a great book for kids filled with adventure and fun. That is the conclusion to my book review on The BFG. Remember I will be doing one of these every month. So long for now, see you soon.

Matthew is a creative kiddo who loves to read. His favorite books are Fablehaven, Ender's Game, and Harry Potter. He also loves to play minecraft, eat blueberries, and go mountain biking.

My kids all LOVE this book! My six year old got it for his birthday last year and we read it as a family and now he has taken it to school so his teacher can read it to the class!

Great post and review Matt!! I love this idea and can’t wait to read next month’s! Roald Dahl is my all time favorite author and I am really looking forward to my kids being old enough to love his books as well.

This was one of my favorite books growing up!! I loved seeing it on here today!

Great review! My kids loved that book when they were young.

This is AWESOME!!! I have little bitty boys and I only hope that they have the love of reading that I do and that you have instilled in your children.

Matt, you did an excellent job and I hope this is the start of many great things for you! Kudos!

I loved this review! Roald Dahl is an awesome author and BFG is a favorite. I can’t wait to hear which book you’ll review next. You probably have hundreds… possibly thousands to choose from! :)

I have always loved this book! Keep up the great reading!

great job, matt! I remember loving that book myself when I was a kid. I’m sure Cate will love reading your book reviews every month, too!

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Before seeing the new film adaptation I decided it was time to revisit one of Roald Dahl's classics. The BFG, which is worryingly now exactly as old as I am, was probably my favourite of the Dahl books as a child, as well as paradoxically being the one that scared me most.

There is something intrinsically frightening about giants, especially the thought of giants snatching children (or indeed anyone), out of bed at night with a hand through the window, and this is exactly how The BFG begins, with the orphan Sophie, (named for Dahl's grand daughter), seeing a tall thin giant on the street of her village and promptly being kidnapped by him and taken off to his cave in Giant country.

Fortunately for Sophie, the giant who snatched her is The BFG, the big friendly giant who does not eat human beans, but blows good dreams into the windows of sleeping children instead. Less happily, there are also nine other gruesome man-eating giants who like nothing better than crunching up to or three wopsy wiffling human beans for supper each night, whether beans from Chilly (where the giants go for something cold to eat in hot weather), Wellington (where the human beans have the flavour of boots), or Sweden, for the Sweden sour taste.

As you will gather, one of the most major themes in the BFG is Dahl's wonderful use of language and humour, especially regarding the giants dining habits. All of the giants, but in particular The BFG himself speak in a decidedly unusual fashion, using a plethora of invented words, spoonerisms and puns, indeed as a child I regularly used terms like "Gloryumptious" or "Boot bogglers" as a matter of course.

It actually amazes me rereading the novel now just how much of the action involves simply an on running dialogue between Sophie and The BFG, ranging on subjects from the constitution of dreams, to the number of amazing noises The BFG can hear with his giant ears, to a rather stark discussion of the ethics of the other giants eating of humans when contrasted against the way we treat our own species. It is surprising just how much terror and wonder, and how much of a boundless, colourful world Dahl can create simply by having a 24 foot tall giant and a little girl talking to each other. While Dahl's skills as a wordsmith and indeed word mangler are evident in all of his works for children, the BFG is arguably where he indulged in this most. Everything from small exclamations such as "by gum frog!" to alterations in usual phrases like "Let’s wait for the gun and flames to begin!" make the BFG, both the titular character and the work he comes from a truly delightful and unique reading experience.

This brings me onto a second aspect of the book, its character. Wikipedia's article on Roald Dahl lists The BFG as an example of presenting good, vs. bad adults, and indeed the metaphor for giants as parents is one Dahl himself touched on in his children's guide to railway safety. To blandly categorize Sophie and the BFG's relationship however as just that of a father and daughter is doing an extreme disservice to both characters and indeed to Dahl.

Even from his initial appearance when, far from reassuring Sophie that he won't eat her The BFG begins a discussion on the eating preferences of the other giants, The BFG is a complex, three dimensional character, (and not just because as a giant he has rather more third dimension than most).

Proud, mercurial, at times insensitive and even cynical, yet at the same time kindly, playful and wise, The BFG is a truly realistic character despite his fantastic origin and his fairy tale practice of good dream blowing.

He is matched equally by Sophie who is (with the possible exception of Matilda), Dahl's most complex child protagonist, prim, bossy, brave and curious, Sophie is every bit as three dimensional, not to mention being (like several other of Dahl's characters), a child who has lived in less than pleasant circumstances which are briefly but sharply detailed in the book. Another surprising aspect of this relationship which is central to the plot is the fact (rather unusual in a book aimed for younger children), that while both the orphaned little girl and the runtish, kindly giant are lonely characters who need each other, the book is never saccharin or too effusively emotional, indeed rarely are we told what characters feel about each other directly, rather we are shown by their actions and interactions and how they feel about the world around them. Though his writing is aimed at a child audience, it is clear that Dahl took as much care with his characters as when writing for adults, indeed on one occasion I do recall Dahl describing children as "the most critical of readers" and noting that the best way of alienating children from a work is to over simplify.

Quite aside from character, Dahl's style deserves praise over all. One gift Dahl had as a writer was a beautiful linguistic economy, able to highlight atmospherically features of the environment or conjure grand sights like bottled dreams or fifty foot tall brutish giants with only a few well chosen sentences. Whether wistful, horrific or mysterious, Dahl's command of mood, ambience and action is deeply admirable and something many writers would envy. This is particularly true when Dahl gets to the villains of the piece.

The nine man eating giants, from their gruesome names such as Bloodbottler,  Bonecruncher and Fleshlumpeater to their typically Dahl grotesque descriptions, they are some of the nastiest villains Dahl created, both in the nightmarish sense of being giants that eat people, and in a far more down to earth, and realistically unpleasant fashion. One section, in which the much smaller BFG is bullied, kicked and taunted by the other giants while being powerless to stop them has a disturbing and familiar ring of realism to it, recognizable to anyone who's ever been on the receiving end from much more human bullies. The lurking presence of the other giants and the constant threat they present gives The BFG a wonderful hint of danger that insures some of the sections just featuring Sophie and The BFG himself discussing dreams or other matters don't feel too safe, especially after one particularly horrific and quite genuinely scary close shave with the Bloodbottler.

Eventually, Sophie and The BFG find a way to convince the Queen of England to help them deal with the wicked giants. While I am not myself a fan of the Royal family, I really do applaud Dahl's presentation of The Queen here. As with the American President in Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Dahl neither parodies The Queen nor praises her effusively. He does represent her as someone ever courteous and polite who can help with The Giant Problem, but also pokes a little fun at the stiff royal attitude. Some of the scenes taking place around The Queen and her very professional butler, like the wonderfully weird idea of the huge BFG eating breakfast in the palace at a table supported by 12 foot grandfather clocks, using an old royal sword for a knife are themes which might even appeal more to adults than children.

The only minor problem I had reading the BFG was with dialogue. While Dahl's characterisation and use of language in speech is truly exceptional, his integration of dialogue into the flow of the narrative can be somewhat clunky. Far too often, he qualifies his dialogue with "said Sophie" or "cried the Bfg" to the point where the narrative interruptions felt arrhythmic and slightly patronising. Had Dahl not been as experienced a writer as he undoubtedly was when he wrote the book, I'd have assumed this the mistake of an author on their first work, or an adult author on sure of what tone to take when relating narrative to children.

The other section which rings a slightly off note today is not actually the fault of the writing. The BFG introduces Sophie to frobscottle, a magical green drink full of bubbles that fizz downwards rather than upwards, and so when drunk produces explosive "wizpoppers". As well as a grasp of the grotesque, Dahl always possessed a distinctly naughty sense of humour, and it comes into play here in full force, especially with Sophie’s at first blushing, slightly offended reaction followed by her enjoying the wizpopping in spite of herself, and then (just to compound things), for the BFG to demonstrate wizpopping before the queen (who is not amused). Dahl's ability here to suggest rather than parade; the delicacy he uses for a theme which in other hands could degenerate into unsubtle toilet humour to create something that is exceptionally funny is of course masterful, however unfortunately with changing culture and the greater prevalence of more crude humour for children around today, it is likely this would be far less funny to children now, than it was in 1982. This was typified when, a few years ago I heard a child on the train refer to the BFG as "oh that book where the giant’s fart", sad that said child plainly got nothing else out of the book, and doubly sad that the child didn't appreciate Dahl's ability to write an incredibly funny section without mentioning the word "fart" once.

The ending in which the army follows the BFG to Giant country to catch the nine wicked giants while they are sleeping worked well, albeit I did feel the unexpected confrontation with the Fleshlumpeater was over rather too quickly, since the BFG is able to trick him fairly easily into being tied up. I can see why the 1989 animated film (which apparently Dahl did approve of), made this a much more tense moment with the Fleshlumpeater trying to literally kill the BFG before being distracted by Sophie and finally knocked out by the BFG with the strategic use of a nightmare, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2016 film does something similar. Then again having the man-eating giants dumped into a huge pit and forced to spend the rest of their lives eating foul tasting snozcumbers is a very fitting punishment, and the idea of a "it is forbidden to feed the giants" sign next to their prison makes me laugh every time. While I do slightly regret that The BFG learned to speak properly, at the same time having him revealed as the author of the work does mean that children can comfort themselves with the knowledge that the Fleshlumpeater and co are firmly and decidedly stuck in a hole and won't be eating anyone else.

I will freely admit to being a little biased where the BFG is concerned. Terror, wonder, love of language and hints at a wide and fantastic world, The BFG has it all. I can only echo the BFG's words about his own favourite book, Nicholas Nickleby by Darlse Chickens: "I is reading it hundreds of times and I is still reading it and teaching new words to myself and how to write them. It's the most scrumdiddlyumptious story".

10/10 I is recombending all chiddlers should read this nobble

• Buy on Amazon

Review by Dark

11 positive reader review(s) for The BFG

Roald Dahl biography

KJ from Europe

Just amazing!

Sheikh Sahara from Bangladesh

Ronaldo’s book the BFG is a story about a friendly giant known as the BFG who Kalex and gives good dreams to children’s NN there is one more character named Sophie.Together the BFG and Sophia with help from the Queen of England help to rid the world of the eating child giant.

Queen Abbie from Australia

I don't like the book because the use of words is terrible. Thank you.

Mitchell from Queensland

I am always wondering if any giants is jolly but other then that The BFG is the best book made by Ronald Dahl and everyone in the world out there should take the time and read it through.

Ahmed from Pakistan

Jude from America

I love this book a lot. For learners to read and it explains lots of stuff.

Pransul from India

Very good book . Excellent brain of Roald Dahl .

Suryasagar from India

It is a wonderful children's book, full of fantasy which children like. It fires their imagination. I haven't seen the movie. It must be quite enjoyable.

Mitch from Australia

I love this book, it makes me want to read more and continually watch the movie, whomever says it is boring maybe doesn't read all the time and maybe are boring to talk to either!!!!!!!!!!!

Alicia from South Africa

An awesome book I give a 10 star rating because whoever said it was boring doesn't have an imagination like I do. This book is my type!!!

Mpho Khensane Gift from South Africa

The BFG is a very delighting book but when you also watch the movies of the BFG three different things some parts I liked some made me wanna stop reading or even watching movies I would give it a ten but ... I like it would recommend it heyyy enjoy maybe u might have a different view thanks roald Dahl keep writing on where ever u if u dead u legacy will live with me and and wrote more if I find a publisher.

Debanjana from India

The bfg is a Lovely story.... I loved it..😊

Ankush from India

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME FOR THE NOVEL READING LEARNERS

9.4 /10 from 14 reviews

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-16

Chapters 17-24

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Chapters 17-24 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 17 summary: “journey to london”.

Sophie is very comfortable in the BFG’s outer ear. She falls asleep for a while. When she wakes up, they have left Giant Country. The BFG points out the group of giants running thunderously back to Giant Country, having eaten their fill of boys and girls. Thinking about this renews Sophie’s determination to execute their plan to stop the giants.

They arrive in London. The BFG moves cautiously through the shadows. They reach Hyde Park. Sophie directs the BFG to jump off a statue over Hyde Park Corner. They reach the wall surrounding Buckingham Palace and the BFG jumps over it.

Chapter 18 Summary: “The Palace”

They proceed quickly but carefully through the palace gardens, stopping to let a watchman with a dog pass. They reach the palace and the BFG can hear the breathing from within the rooms. They pass a room with a sleeping man and a few empty ones before reaching a room with a lady. They part the windows, and Sophie recognizes the Queen’s profile.

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The bfg by roald dahl – summary and review.

In this article, we will delve into the captivating story of Sophie and the BFG, a friendly giant with a secret mission. Join Sophie as she journeys alongside the BFG, facing challenges and uncovering themes of friendship and injustice.

Get ready to be enthralled by Roald Dahl’s signature wit and charm, as he takes you on a journey filled with excitement and heartwarming moments.

Through this summary and review, you will not only experience the magic of ‘The BFG’ but also reflect on its lasting impact.

So, get comfortable and prepare to be transported to a world where dreams come alive and giants roam.

Key Takeaways

• ‘The BFG’ is a whimsical adventure with a secret mission to rid the world of evil giants.
• The story explores a world where giants roam freely and the power of imagination and giant-sized dreams is a key theme.
• Sophie’s character development showcases courage and compassion, while the BFG’s refusal to eat humans highlights social inequality.
• Roald Dahl’s clever and relatable writing style creates a fantastical yet relatable world that continues to captivate readers of all ages.

Meet the Characters: Sophie and the BFG

Imagine yourself standing next to Sophie, a brave and curious young girl, as she embarks on a thrilling adventure with the BFG, a kind-hearted and towering giant.

Sophie’s transformation throughout the story is truly remarkable. At the beginning, she is an orphan, living in fear of the giants that roam the night. However, after meeting the BFG, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. She becomes more confident and courageous, standing up to the other giants and helping the BFG in his mission to stop their wicked ways.

Another fascinating aspect of this story is the BFG’s unique language. He speaks in a charming and whimsical way, using words like ‘whizzpopping’ and ‘snozzcumbers.’ This adds a playful element to the story, making it even more enjoyable for readers of all ages.

Explore the Whimsical World of Giants

Step into a whimsical world where towering giants roam freely, transporting you to a place filled with enchantment and wonder. In “The BFG” by Roald Dahl, the exploration of this fantastical realm is truly captivating. One of the key themes in the book is the power of imagination and giant-sized dreams. As you delve into the story, you will witness the incredible ability of the characters to dream big and create a world beyond their own. Additionally, you will encounter the BFG’s magical language known as “gobblefunk.” This unique form of communication adds an extra layer of charm and intrigue to the story, as deciphering the meaning behind the BFG’s words becomes a delightful challenge. Get ready to be swept away into a world where imagination knows no bounds.

Discover the BFG’s Secret Mission

Embarking on a secret mission, the BFG takes you on a thrilling journey through a whimsical world of giants and enchantment. As you delve deeper into the story, you begin to uncover the BFG’s hidden agenda and the mystery that surrounds it.

With each page turned, the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, and you find yourself eagerly unraveling the secrets that lie within. The BFG’s mission becomes clear – to rid the world of the evil giants that terrorize innocent children.

You accompany the BFG on his daring quest, filled with danger and excitement. Together, you face challenges and overcome obstacles, all the while discovering the power of friendship and bravery.

The BFG’s secret mission becomes an unforgettable adventure that captivates your imagination and leaves you longing for more.

Join Sophie on Her Adventure to Help the BFG

As you join Sophie on her thrilling adventure, you’ll discover the true meaning of courage and compassion. In “The BFG,” Sophie’s growth and bravery are evident as she embarks on a mission to help the BFG. Despite her initial fear, Sophie musters the courage to confront giants and stand up for what is right. Throughout the story, Sophie’s character develops, and she becomes a symbol of resilience and determination. One of the key themes in the book is the power of imagination. Sophie and the BFG use their imaginations to create wonderful dreams and overcome obstacles. Through their imaginative adventures, they teach us that anything is possible if we believe in ourselves. The BFG reminds us of the importance of embracing our creativity and using it to make a positive impact on the world.

Uncover the Themes of Friendship and Injustice

Throughout the story, readers will uncover the powerful themes of friendship and injustice, highlighting the profound impact these elements have on the characters and their journeys.

In ‘The BFG,’ the friendship dynamics between Sophie and the BFG serve as the foundation for their incredible adventure. Despite their differences, they form a deep bond based on trust, understanding, and mutual respect. This friendship allows them to overcome obstacles and face their fears together.

Moreover, the novel sheds light on social inequality, as the BFG is an outcast in the giant world due to his refusal to eat humans. This injustice is further emphasized by the other giants’ cruel and violent behavior.

By addressing these themes, Roald Dahl prompts readers to reflect on the importance of empathy, acceptance, and standing up against injustice in our own lives.

Experience Roald Dahl’s Signature Wit and Charm

Now that you’ve uncovered the themes of friendship and injustice in ‘The BFG,’ it’s time to experience Roald Dahl’s signature wit and charm.

When reading this delightful book, you can’t help but be captivated by Dahl’s clever and humorous writing style. His words jump off the page, painting vivid pictures in your mind and tickling your funny bone.

With his unique blend of wit and charm, Dahl creates a world that is both fantastical and relatable. From the BFG’s hilarious made-up words to the witty banter between characters, you’ll find yourself chuckling and grinning from ear to ear.

Prepare to be enchanted as you embark on a journey filled with laughter and joy, courtesy of the brilliant Roald Dahl.

Reflect on the Impact of ‘The BFG

Take a moment to ponder the profound influence that ‘The BFG’ has had on readers of all ages. From its publication in 1982, this beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl has captivated hearts and minds around the world.

Its impact on children’s literature cannot be overstated. ‘The BFG’ introduced us to the endearing character of Sophie and the kind-hearted giant who catches dreams. Through their adventures, Dahl masterfully weaves themes of friendship, bravery, and the power of imagination.

The cultural significance of ‘The BFG’ lies in its ability to transcend generations, offering comfort and inspiration to readers of all backgrounds. Its timeless message of acceptance and compassion continues to resonate, reminding us of the transformative power of literature.

Whether you’re a child or an adult, ‘The BFG’ will forever hold a special place in your heart.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has roald dahl written in total.

Roald Dahl has written a total of 21 books, including popular titles like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

What is the BFG’s real name?

The BFG’s real name is Runt. He is a friendly giant who captures dreams and blows them into children’s bedrooms. Despite being the smallest giant, Runt has a big heart and is determined to protect children from the evil giants.

How does Sophie first discover the existence of giants?

Sophie’s first encounter with giants happens when she is snatched from her bed and taken to Giant Country. There, she discovers the secret of the giants’ existence.

Are there any other books or movies based on ‘The BFG’?

Other adaptations of ‘The BFG’ include both books and movies. The BFG: From Page to Screen explores the process of bringing the story to life on the big screen.

What age group is ‘The BFG’ recommended for?

The BFG is recommended for children aged 7-12. It is beloved because of its imaginative story, lovable characters, and themes of friendship and bravery. Kids relate to the BFG’s adventures and Dahl’s playful language.

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