The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl - Book Review

For many people hunting is considered a sport and just something they do for fun. That was the case for the Gregg family. However, the little girl living next door didn’t find it fun at all.

In fact, it made her very angry to see them head out to shoot birds on a weekly basis. Roald Dahl sparks his magic in his amazing book The Magic Finger and gives this little girl a magical power that can sometimes be quite dangerous.

When this little girl gets very angry, she has the power to curse people. Although she never knows what to expect and most of the time don’t even mean to punish them, her magic finger lights up bright and red when she gets angry and once pointed inflicts a punishment onto their target.

The amazing plot twist that shows Dahl’s genius in this book is that when the little girl is burning with rage as the Gregg family made fun of her protests to their hunting expeditions, her magic finger turns them all into exactly what they deserved: birds.

This book teaches children a valuable lesson of kindness, forgiveness and being in someone else’s shoes to help them understand how much the things a person can take for granted can have an impact on other people’s lives.

Having to live in a nest as birds make the Gregg family understand the fears that the birds were facing and teach many important and valuable lessons.

One of the most magnificent things about Dahl’s children’s books is that they are enjoyable for both adults and children alike and this book does not disappoint.

However, if you do have children, The Magic Finger is definitely an excellent way to introduce the topic of understanding, empathy and putting yourself in other people’s shoes through a fun, exciting and interesting story that is both captivating and easy to read.