Is Roald Dahl's Matilda suitable for 3yo?

[ChocolateChipCupcake]

I've started reading some Roald Dahl books to my 3yo DD. She loved James and the Giant Peach but I know some of his other ones will be too scary (The Witches). She doesn't like any trouble in a story, especially people / animals in dangerous situations (she doesn't watch Peter Rabbit because of this!). I haven't read Matilda so I was hoping it would be ok. Any advice from anyone who had read it?
Thanks

I would wait until she's a couple of years older tbh.

I love Roald Dahl, but there are many, many other books that your 3 year old should listen to before Matilda. Picture books are still immensely valuable at that age and there are so many brilliant ones .

Roald Dahl is fabulous but really for older kids. We have just started abridged versions with pictures with our 5 yo ds. There are amazing books for littlies
Julia Donaldson
Fairy tales
We're all going on a bear hunt
We have loads of dragon and pirate ones but I'm sure there are girls types too (only have a boy)

I wouldn't personally read Roald Dahl to that age. My girls are 5 and 6 and we have done Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and also the Great Glass Elevator, started Fantastic Mr Fox but they weren't interested and the 6 year old has been listening to Matilda at school in class and read some herself.

If you want chapter books to read her then I would go with something like the Wombles, Paddington, Enchanted Wood/Magic Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair, Naughtiest Girl in the School, Milly Molly Mandy, My Naughty Little Sister and others like that.

At 3 though I would agree with others that picture books should still be the main form of story reading.

I am always surprised how many people introduce Roald Dahl so young, many of his books were written for over 8s if I remember right and are really very dark and quite gruesome. Plenty of time for those in the future.

Wait until older. Or let her discover for herself at some point. DS did it at school in year 1 - even this was a bit early in my opinion. Mainly because there are so many other things to read at that age

Definitely not ok for your DD, lots of kids in dangerous situations when evil head teacher Miss Trunchbull is around!

I loved Matilda but didn't read it until I was 6.

At 3 I loved all the Beatrix Potters, anything involving Thomas the Tank Engine and the My Naughty Little Sister and Alfie books by Shirley Hughes.

DS was given the film recently and is pretty scared of Miss Trunchbull. There is a lot of getting in trouble!

What about Dirty Beasts or Revolting Rhymes? Giraffe and Pelly and Me, Enormous Crocodile, BFG?

I'm always stunned at how advanced mumsnetters' dcs are. None of mine would have understood James and the giant peach at three, and even the 'advanced' six year old prefers short silly books.
No help here, I would be suggesting Mog or Monster and Frog...

so many amazing stories for 3 year olds, why read her roald dahl? save it for later

Miss. Trunchbull is a true beast within children's literature. I wouldn't read it to a 3yo: I was 8yo before I read it.

Try Dhal's 'The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me'. It's wonderful

Unless yr DD is particularly advanced I wouldn't suggest that any of the Roald Dahl were suitable. As others have said there are so many good books for her age range I would save Dahl for a couple of years when she can truly appreciate it.
If she can't cope with Peter rabbit then Dahl is a no-no.

Hi Chocolate, my daughter sounds very similar to yours. Peter Rabbit can have her very worried. But she also loves what she calls "chapter books" and went crazy for the faraway tree collection and the wishing chair collection, the twits, the worst witch and naughty amelia Jane. She is just 4. The only problem is though, that some of the chapters end with suspense and she always begs and begs for another and another chapter and so her bedtime story session now takes a lot longer than when we were on the picture/short stories. I sort of miss reading the short books and it also means I cant combine story time for her and my son as he is younger and these books are not appropriate for him. I know though that as soon as my daughter starts reception and starts learning to read properly we will be back on those types of books as well as these others.

I loved Matilda but didn't read it until I was 6.

At 3 I loved all the Beatrix Potters, anything involving Thomas the Tank Engine and the My Naughty Little Sister and Alfie books by Shirley Hughes.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'll give mrs Trunchbull a miss for now and get hold of some Paddington. I bought the Roald Dahl collection and read James and the giant peach and The Giraffe the pelly and me and she loved them both but of course picture books are her mainstay and we read loads of them too, I just wanted to add few chapter books if she got on with them, which she did.

My naughty little sister is a lovely set of chapter stories.
Milky Molly Mandy - bit dated but fun.