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Roald Dahl
Harper Children's Audio, April 2002.
3-cassette, unabridged edition

When humans reach that magical age of four-ish, the world can be incredibly scary and mesmerizing at once. During that once-in-a-lifetime age, there's no reason not to believe in magic, both good and evil. This is the age when many begin their natural, human fascination with being scared -- on purpose. Wise caregivers who strive to hear what their child is saying between the lines will seek stories that carefully, gently appeal to the human need for fantasy and terror rolled together in just the right way.

Roald Dahl, dead now since 1990, was nothing short of a genius in this department. His life story is a tale unto itself, complete with childhood loss of loved ones, boarding school experiences that propelled his early writings, and loss as a parent himself. In all of his work, for both adults and children, Dahl proved innately masterful with his treatments of the unexpected and macabre.

The BFG is a dreamy tale of one Big Friendly Giant who kidnaps an orphan, Sophie, through whose eyes we see this other world that starts at "the witching hour" and ends with the Queen of England triumphant over the other, man-eating giants. While the story has been taped by others, in this version actress Natasha Richardson proves her award-winning talent by consistently creating voices you can almost see with your eyes -- from little Sophie to the simply profound BFG to the grisly other giants, and even a fair rendition of Queen Elizabeth.

Using language as only Dahl can, the under-educated BFG twists his words and even invents a few terms that will tickle children's fancy. A new word that our household now uses for a certain giggle-producing body function is "whizpopper," thanks to the BFG.

In the finest tradition of children's storytelling, The BFG mentions larger life lessons to ponder yet glides forward without harping. While the overlying theme of good versus evil parallels the line that there's a place in the world for everyone, another issue that is touched on lightly is the hypocrisy of rule-making. All without wagging a finger.

It is fitting that The BFG is dedicated to Dahl's daughter, Olivia, who died at the age of seven. Dahl himself said that he never would have made up stories for children, had he not had a few kids himself. It is easy to imagine a father creating this tale at his child's bedside, a chapter for each night, to help send them off to a vivid dreamland where good conquers evil, and where children and misfits are powerful.

This is an unabridged edition, so the three cassettes will take you somewhere in the range of as many listening hours, but the ear-catching narration and the rich story will make that time fly. Be forewarned: there are plenty of references to the eating of "human beans" and the descriptions of the giants themselves are characteristically graphic. The tale is actually recommended for ages eight and up, but some younger children who've already experienced either real-life or vicarious trauma might feel comforted by hearing how even a child can survive through scary times and that things are not always as they seem.