The Magic Finger

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The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl is a story about a girl with a magic finger. She lives next door to the Gregg family who like to hunt for fun and this makes her very angry. She doesn’t think it’s right for people to hunt animals for fun and when she gets angry, her finger takes control. Her magic finger has a special lesson in store, but the big problem is not knowing exactly what will happen when she uses it. She lives next to the Gregg family. The Greggs have a love of hunting. They go often, much to Philippa's disapproval and dismay. One day, they come home with a dead deer. This really upsets her and she gets angry with them. They do not take her criticisms seriously and make fun of her. She decides to use the magic finger on them. Not Roald Dahl at his finest - nevertheless a good short entertaining book with the usual great illustrations by Quentin Blake.

One library catalogue record for the 1974 Puffin Books edition. "Originally published: / with illustrations by William Pène du Bois. New York: Harper and Row, 1966; London: Allen and Unwin, 1968." The Magic Finger study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.It's almost tradition that the first book of the year is one by Roald Dahl. This year, I've chosen a book about an 8-year-old girl that remains unnamed (first-person narrator), who lives next door to a family with two boys. Both boys go hunting with their dad every day, which doesn't sit right with the girl since killing animals just for fun is wrong (I completely agree). This very short story makes for a perfect bedtime story, the same level of surrealism and a strong anti hunting message to boot. The session is best suited for children in years 2-3, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. Quentin Blake has been drawing ever since he can remember. He taught illustration for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art, of which he is an honorary professor. He has won many prizes, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, the Eleanor Farjeon Award and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and in 1999 he was appointed the first Children’s Laureate. In the 2013 New Year’s Honours List he was knighted for services to illustration.

Like all Dahl's books its Blake's illustrations that adds an extra layer of enjoyment, seeing the Gregg's trying to build a nest was so funny. To hear his beginning, one would never expect to hear of his career going like it did. It’s inspirational!Every Saturday morning the Gregg family goes off to shoot animals and birds. But the girl who lives next door hates hunting.