Dick Whittington and His Cat
St Ives
A Hand in the Bird
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Price of Debauchery
Physical Training
The Emperor's New Clothes
A Little Nut-Tree
The Dentist and the Crocodile
Hot and Cold
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Hey Diddle Diddle
Mary, Mary
Hansel and Gretel
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Dahl was not afraid to include elements of horror and violence in his stories for children. In this collection of retold fairy tales, he makes references to various themes that might seem unexpected in a children's book. For example, there are references to sexual harassment in stories like "A Hand in the Bird," "Physical Training," and "Hot and Cold." Sex is also a theme in several tales, such as "Dick Whittington and His Cat," "The Price of Debauchery," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp." Additionally, adultery is mentioned in "Dick Whittington and His Cat." Furthermore, other themes like class divide, cannibalism, and abuse can also be found in these stories.
I read this to my son and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. In my opinion, it is better than his kids novels, with the exception of Matilda, The Witches, and Danny Champion of the World. The story had a certain charm and appeal that kept us engaged from start to finish. It was filled with interesting characters and exciting plot twists that held our attention. My son was completely captivated and couldn't wait to hear what happened next. The language was simple yet engaging, making it easy for him to understand. It also had some valuable life lessons that he could take away from it. Overall, it was a great read for both of us and I would highly recommend it to other parents and their children.
Een hilarische Dahl weer! Dit boek bevat een aantal korte gedichtjes en enkele varianten op bekende sprookjes. Het is echt een leuk en vermakelijk leesstuk. Ik denk alleen dat ik dit specifieke boekje toch liever in het Engels zou lezen. De reden hiervoor is dat sommige woordgrappen in het Nederlands heel goed gevonden zijn, waardoor ik me afvraag wat het origineel was. Daarnaast lijken de versregels vanwege de rijm soms niet helemaal lekker. Misschien komt dit omdat ik gewoon meer gebruik heb gemaakt van het Engels en daarmee beter vertrouwd ben. Maar toch vindt ik het leuk om deze verschillende vertalingen en varianten te ontdekken. Het geeft me een nieuw perspectief op de bekende gedichten en sprookjes. Ik ben benieuwd hoe andere mensen dit boek zullen vinden en of ze dezelfde gedachten hebben als ik.