Not my favourite Roald Dahl, it wasn't quite as magical or memorable as Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, nevertheless it was still a quick, fun story about talking ducks and a girl with a magic finger.

There is a specific moment from my childhood this book reminded me about.

I was playing in my room with my two little cousins, who are 5 and 6 years younger than I am - and were at the time too, obviously -, and one of them was very violent towards a plastic deer I used to love. He kept removing that poor toy's ears, and my heart sank with each tug of his annoying little hands. Noticing I was probably on the verge of tears but silent (because I was the big cousin, therefore should always be protective of the urchins and not scream and throw fits, doh), my grandmother stepped into the picture and started petting the toy, saying something like "Oh boy, poor little deer, how it must suffer without its ears... Imagine that, huh, going through that pain...". And all of the sudden, both my cousins were transfixed. They put themselves in the toy's shoes. They just stopped "hurting" it and gently started petting it, feeling sorry for it and ashamed of their previous behaviour.

I guess that was their first lesson in empathy, which this little story is also all about. Only Dahl, being Dahl, teaches kids by means of dark retaliation. Always funnier this way. :D

Е, да, дете въоръжено с вълшебен пръст крие потенциала за отприщването на пълна анархия, но също така гарантира и своевременно и безкомпромисно действие срещу всяка неправда. На всеки, който някога се е чувствал малък, безпомощен и безсилен „Вълшебният пръст” ще вдъхне кураж и мечти! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

Simplistic:
This book has an agenda which is anti-gun and anti-hunting. The affected family is taught a lesson by a young girl who cannot control either her temper or her "magic finger". I have seen many farm families in my life growing up in both rural England and rural America. None of these have taken pleasure in harming animals and have considered their lifestyle including hunting as a necessity in feeding their families.

Deeper:
Is it too simplistic to think that there is only one "lesson" to be learned? The unnamed girl seems to be taking pleasure in pointing her finger at others. You know what they say about pointing at someone else? There are three fingers pointing back at you!

Gregg ailesinin başına gelenleri anlatan çok güzel bir kitaptı. Herkese öneriyorum.

No hunting! It is mean! Plus, you never know when your psycho neighbor is going to flip out and and punish you with her "Magic Finger" (does that sound dirty to anyone else?). Better to stay inside where it's safe. Don't answer the door to any kids, or ducks.

This seems preachier than is the norm for Dahl. The magic isn't developed, and we don't spend enough time with the narrator to know her or care about her. The way in which the narrator characterized her magic finger as something outside herself and not under her control, while Dahl makes it clear that her feelings direct what happens, could have led to a really interesting psychological examination of anger and action and valuable points about responsibility and self-control. I would rather have had a longer book that dealt with those issues.

This was hilarious, wackadoodle, and carried a great message from the author. I have nothing against those people hunting animals for food; or doing so to keep animal populations in check, etc. but the Gregg family in this story, seemed to be doing it just to shoot things for fun. This is where the “magic finger” comes in.
It seems a bit tricky.
I love Dahl. Dahl seems to be sending a message that he doesn’t condone the shooting and hunting of animals for no good reason.
Especially not our clever feathered friends in this story!
This edition also features substance after the story that I really liked. There are quotes from Dahl, a picture of things he kept on his desk, facts, trivia, & a lot of other neat stuff that made it really interesting. I really loved the quirky things he kept on his desk !
To hear his beginning, one would never expect to hear of his career going like it did. It’s inspirational!

It also talks of the illustrator and Dahl. I love that this stuff was added in. It added length and depth for me. So, ...

Duck down and read this for a good message and some laughs.

3.75
کاش گاهی وقت ها ماهم انگشت جادویی داشتیم :دی
رود دال دوست داشتنی ... هیچ وقت برای خوندن داستان های شگفت انگیزش دیر نیست

n  

There was a girl with a magic finger
Who used it when anger beset her
She had little regret
Zapping those who upset
Refusing any learnings to linger

n

More bedtime reading fun to my little ones. This one a short read with an anti-gun and hunting message

عائلة السيد كريك المعروفة برغبتها المتواصلة في الصيد تتصادم مع أبنة جارهم الصغيرة التي تحاول ثنيهم عن تلك الرغبة المتفاقمة...
و بإعتبار ان هذه الصغيرة تمتلك أصبعا سحريا فهذا يعني أنها ستعرضهم لمشكلة كبيرة خاصة أنها غضبت من إهمالهم لطلبها بعدم صيد الطيور و النتيجة انه كان على هذه العائلة ان تواجه مصائر الحيوانات التي لطالما إصطادتها من النوم في العراء الى البرد و الجوع و التعرض لخطر القتل ...
رواية صغيرة و لطيفة تجعلنا في موقف المظلوم بدل الظالم ، الضعيف بدل القوي ، الحيوان بدل الإنسان ...

This is a book about a girl who punishes a family who hunts using her magic finger. In the end, the family vows never to hunt again. But my question still remains: plenty of people who read this book eat meat, yet agree that the hunters should be punished. But should they? What's the difference between eating meat and hunting your own meat? At least they know the animals weren't tortured or abused. Maybe I'm reading too much into this...