first Roald Dahl book??

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would you recommend a roald Dahl book for nearly 5yr old? I remember enjoying the magic finger as a young child but cant remember the exact age.
any recommendations for where to start would be greatly appreciated.

I had some when a child but not at five I think, least the stories were read TO me at night but were not books if look at alone. Could you start with his poetry (and others) maybe? Shorter stuff.

I've been reading George's marvellous medicine and fantastic mr fox out loud to a four year old and a six year old recently, one or two chapters a night. They have really enjoyed listening to them.

Came.on to recommend Georges Marvellous Medicine but I see it has been.

The Twits. IIRC the chapters are only a couple of pages long, makes it easy to break it down into bedtime story over a couple of weeks. I read it to DS when he was in reception year.

My girls love Matilda.

Hands down The Twits. I also read DS George's Marvellous Medicine at that age.

If you go to whsmiths they've got some really lovely A4 colour illustrated copies of some Roald Dahl books. George's Marvellous Medicine was the first chapter book I read DD :)

we read the twits with DD1 who is 4. She loved it especially as the chapters are so short. We're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at bedtimes now and she likes it but it's harder going than the twits. Friends have read the BFG with similar age kids but I'm avoiding it as DD is such a crap sleeper I cannot face the idea that she'll add childcatching giants to her list of scary things to wake up and scream about

Enormous crocodile is perfect for that age.

We got the whole set and have been working our way through them for bedtime stories a few chapters at a time.
We've done Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The great glass elevator, the bfg, James & the Giant Peach and Georges Marvellous Medicine. We are currently working through Fantastic Mr Fox.
His very favourite was the BFG and he's asked to read it again.

I've avoided BFG for the same reason :( I'd love to show her the film too but she is very sensitive/easily scared

Giraffe, Pelly & me or The Twits, both great short stories

Giraffe, Pelly & Me

I started reading Roald Dahl to my daughter when she was 4. The first book we read was The Minpins. She loved it and we went on to read all his other books.

We read giraffe pelly and me and then GMM and FMFox to 3.5 year old Dd. Now on with JaGP. She loves them!

We did George's Marvellous Medicine first, then James and the Giant Peach (not entirely sure they both followed that one really), The Twits, then Charlie and Choc. Esio Trot on the go at present. (We got the cheap set from the Book People) They are 4 and 6. The 6yo would be able to read a simpler one herself but won't

The Enormous Crocodile (the simplest of all his books), The Magic Finger, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Minpins, are the best of the short Roald Dahl books as far as we are concerned. The DDs were 3/4 when we started reading them, DD2 is still a bit young (at 4) for the chapter books and phased out a bit when DH read The BFG to them.

Esio Trot is a nice gentle story.

Well, gentle is probably the wrong word for Roald Dahl but you know what I mean!!

One of the big picture books, like The Enormous Crocodile or The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me.

I wouldn't go for chapter books yet, DS is 5 and struggles with the length of those two sometimes. Plus the chapter books tend to have fewer pictures.

My DS1 now 8 always returns to Fanrastic Mr Fox as it was his first that he read independently. The problem with TMF is that it isn't split into actual chapters.

I think Fantastic Mr Fox is a good 1st. I remember feeling v grown up with I read the BFG alone. I believe I was 6.

I would happily never read BFG ever again having read it multiple times as a child and way too many times to my DC who for some reason are addicted to it.

We are in fact currently reading it and it is 3 year olds first time. It may Wong it's way to the charity shop once we are done.

we started with Georgesmarvelous medicine than moved onto fantastic mr fox and the twits

Enormous crocodile is liked in our house. DS is just 4