I thought this book was a really good book.

I’m confused how a lot of reviews are saying this is one of their favorite Dahl books. Did we read the same book? Boy I didn’t like that poaching was the main plot line and this one was just boring for both me and my son. Bleh. Glad we can choose something else.

I never read Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl, until recently and I admit that Dahl was not a writer that was on my constant radar as a young reader, either. I liked this novel quite a lot like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because it demonstrates a special relationship between a young boy and a male adult relative. In Danny, it's his dad, and in Charlie, it's his grandfather.

Dahl has specific tropes that a reader can count on when reading his books. There are usually good children and villainous adults, with at least one protagonist adult who is the heroic helper of the MC child. This is a really good story, and I'm surprised that I had never heard about this one.

Here, Danny and his dad live in a wooden wagon at a petrol station that his dad owns. Dad is a storyteller that tells nightly tales to feed Danny's imagination. However, the main thrust of the story involves the poaching of pheasants. Danny wakes one night, knowing that his father is no longer in their home. Dad returns and explains to Danny that he has been poaching pheasant. In this most innocuous way, does the caper begin.

The story clearly elucidates the experience, making it clear to me that Dahl had some firsthand knowledge of how and why. I must say that the entire short book was intriguing to me as an adult, and this aspect itself was very satisfying. There were humorous story notes throughout and really left me with good feeling. Clearly, a big recommend from me.

If you are longing to be familiar with children’s classic books, then start reading Roald Dahl’s books. His books are very entertaining yet highly educating. His prose is approachable and easy to get.

Danny and the Champion of the World follows a humorous adventure of Danny, our main character, and his dad. It explores the theme of dynamic relationship between fathers and sons and modeling a kind of father in order to be a good example for all the fathers. The author wittily advises fathers how to treat their children or visa versa.

Another topic of the book is to appreciating everything, even the small things in life that we have and taking nothing for granted. For example, the main characters are destitute, but their poverty does not affect their life, hope and dreams.

One of the first books I ever loved though I thought it was a little sad too. I remember it really made me wanna eat a pheasant too, haha.

I loved this book as a kid and the re-read as an adult did not disappoint. In fact, started last night and I read it in just two sittings.

This is the story of a father and son and their adventure together. Danny's mum died when he was a baby and he was brought up by his dad who is the most wonderful dad in the whole world (according to Danny). Danny and his dad live in a little gypsy caravan behind the petrol filling station which his dad runs. One night Danny wakes to discover his father is missing from the caravan and this leads him into the discovery of his fathers secret. A secret which it later appears half the village is in on! But it leads to an amazing adventure and one which sees Danny declared as the Champion of the World!

This is one of Roald Dahl's less zany books but still a great. Definitely one to read with the nephews in years to come!

This is one of the sweetest books in the entire world. Danny and his father live in a little gypsy caravan behind the filling station where they work. Danny's Mum died ages ago and it's just the two of them and they are very happy together.

Then one day his Dad tells him about poaching, and how exciting it is. He teaches Danny the best ways to steal birds off the mean rich man's land and they hatch a plan to steal ALL of them the night before the big hunt to humiliate the mean rich man. But things don't run smoothly and they end up having to improvise (with the help of half the town, also in on the poaching game).

I loved reading this with my little girl. Danny and his Dad are best friends and have the best conversations and interactions. It was funny and sweet and we both loved it. It's been my favorite Dahl book we've read together. I kept thinking about how Roald's father died when he was very small and how he never knew him at all, and I wondered if this father and Danny were exactly what Dahl wished he had.

This was a lovely little book.

For the record, this was not my favorite Roald Dahl book. Something about the poaching seemed a little less "Robin Hood" and a little more... Uh... "sour grapes" than what I was hoping for. But whatever. It was still good.

And, it was one of the very, very few Roald Dahl books I'd never read. Either way, lets see what the kids said about it. (If it gets 4 or 5 stars, you know why...)

Dad: Alright! How many stars do you want to give it?

Eleanor: FIVE!

Gwennie: FIIIiiiiiVVEE?

E: Gwennie, you don't sound so sure.

G: Five? Maybe five?

(These reviews are getting harder to do, now that Gwennie can read. She's reading everything I type.)

D: We are giving it 5 stars, right?

G&E: Right.

D: What did you think about the book?

E: Wait. Who are you starting with? Can we go in birthday order? So, Gwen goes first, because it's her birthday next.

G: Birthday? Wait. Why did you write birthday?

E: Because of birthday order. November is after October. And November is your birthday month, so you get to go next. *Lists off months with a whistling/wind noise between each one.*

D: So Gwen goes first.

E: Because it's her birthday next.

Poppy: (From outside the room): And then I go second, and then Eleanor goes last. *Poppy has not read the book with us. Also, her birthday is after Eleanor's. Here's hoping there's not a fight brewing over this... Back to Gwen*

G: Good. I liked it.

D: What did you like about the book?

G: The cane? The cane part?

E: The cane part? What does that have to do with Danny Champion of the World? Where there was a cane laying in the middle of the sidewalk.

G: *Shyly shaking her head and tapping her hand* ... ... .... .... Nooooo... The school cane.

E: OOOOOOoooooo!!!! I know what you're talking about! Where Danny gets hit on the hand with the cane!

*Gwen nods*

D: Gwennie, so you liked the part with the cane in the school?

*Gwennie nods*

D: What did you like about it, Gwen?

G: I'm not sure why I liked it.

D: So, you liked the fact that he got hit?

G: No.

D: You liked it because you remember it?

G: Yeah.

D: Because it was interesting and you're glad it doesn't happen anymore?

G: Yeah.

D: El, what was your favorite part?

Eleanor: I liked the pheasant part. And the pheasants on the car. Where Mr. Hazell was like, "GET THOSE PHEASANTS OFF MY CAR!!!! GET THOSE DISGUSTING BIRDS OFF MY CAR!!!!"

D: Girls, who was your favorite character in the book?

G: Uhhh. The dad.

E: I liked the dad and Danny. AND everybody else. I had a dream about Danny Champion of the World. Well, it was similar to that. It was about Danny, but it wasn't exactly the same. They were at the store, and Mr. Hazell came in, and Danny's dad gave Danny one of those "funny looks" and suddenly they were both outside. And then, they poured protein - like hard boiled protein that's been in eggs already - they poured lots and lots of it on Mr. Victor Hazell, and they.... and it got all over the ground, and there was a whole bunch. And it got all over their leg. Like, right up to HERE on their leg. (Shows me on her leg.) It would be lower on your leg, because you're taller. And then they fell, and they rolled all over the place, but it didn't hurt because there was so much egg white and protein all over the place. Mr. Victor Hazell and the pheasants drove away really fast, and they poured more egg white all over the place, and-

D: Wait, who poured egg white all over the place? Mr. Victor Hazell?

E: Well, I guess it was tracked out into the streets, because it was all over his car, too. And then there was more falling over, and rolling around. And then, they had ice cream. The cause of the celebration was that they'd never have to see Mr. Victor Hazell again. And, in the dream, it was a bright sunny day, but the egg whites made it look like snow.

D: I'm not sure that this is actually a review of the book, but I love it when you (or I) get into a book so much that we start dreaming about it.

E: Well, that's the dream.

D: Gwennie, anything else to add? Anything else you want me to say about the book that you really like? Gwennie, was there anything you didn't like in the book?

G: Well, nothing made me sad or scared. So, no. ...Well, actually, I didn't like when they stole Mr. Victor Hazell's pheasants, and when the dad left Danny alone. I thought he shouldn't do that. He shouldn't leave his kids without telling them.

D: Did you get worried that we would leave you without telling you?

G: No. (Shakes head very sincerely.) (Very sweetly again says) No.

D: Gwen, of course we'd never leave you without telling you.

G: *Smiles* I know.

D: Is that it?

E: Poppy? Anything you want to say about the book?

P: Yeah. GOOD!

E: Poppy says it was a good book.

(Again, for the record, Poppy didn't read it with us.)

YA. I got this book as a reward for participating in my library's summer reading program back when I was still short enough to read for cash and prizes. Ironically enough, I never read it. Sab instructed me to do so, and I finally dug it out and gave it a go.

This is a book about Danny and the very best father a boy could ever want. There's something a tad creepy about a boy who idolizes his father this much, but I'm not a boy living alone with his father in the English countryside in the 1970s, so who's to say. The other thing that made me uncomfortable was how lovingly these characters took to poaching pheasants. Just because someone's rich and mean doesn't make it okay to steal their birds for fun. Dahl is well known for his whimsy and magic, and the way he writes about the ways to trap pheasants is silly and clever, but my stupid morals got in the way. If he'd made up an animal for Danny and his father (and really, the whole town) to poach, it would have been much easier for me to take.

This is probably my least favorite Dahl. It's also one of the few I didn't read as a child, so maybe there's a connection, but I just didn't like it.

Probably the most bizarre childrens book I've read so far. Tight, page-turning prose, though. Dahl was a master writer and a major weirdo. LOL.

i rarely, if ever, see books that highlight father-son relationships in a positive way. reading this reminded me of how much i cherish and love my own father, and how thankful i am that we have a strong bond.

A heartfelt read.
A Beautiful father and Son bond.
Another one of my favourite Dahl books
Everyone so memorable. Brings back happy childhood memories.