Danny, the Champion of the World facts for kids
Original book cover
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| Author | Roald Dahl |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jill Bennett (original) Quentin Blake |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's |
| Published | 14 February 1975 Jonathan Cape (original) Puffin Books (current) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback, Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 0-14-032873-4 |
Danny, the Champion of the World is a popular children's book written by Roald Dahl. It was first published in 1975. The story is about a young English boy named Danny and his kind father, William. They live in a special caravan and work together fixing cars.
The book also tells how Danny and his father secretly catch pheasants (a type of bird) from a rich man's land. This is called poaching. The story was made into a TV movie in 1989. It is based on an earlier short story for adults by Roald Dahl. Time magazine even called it one of the 100 best young-adult books ever!
Contents
What is Danny, the Champion of the World About?
Danny's mother died when he was very young. So, he lives with his father, William, in a cozy caravan. Their home is behind the garage where William fixes cars. Danny and his father are very close. They love doing things together. They build kites, fire balloons, and even go-karts.
William is also a great storyteller. He tells Danny a bedtime story about a "Big Friendly Giant." This story later became another famous book by Roald Dahl, called The BFG. Danny and his father have a happy life, even though they don't have a lot of money.
A rich and unkind man named Mr. Hazell owns a lot of land nearby. One day, when Danny is nine, he learns a secret. His father is a poacher, just like his own father was. Poaching means catching animals illegally on someone else's land.
One night, Danny wakes up very worried. His father hasn't come back from poaching on Mr. Hazell's property. Danny bravely drives an old Austin 7 car to find him. He discovers his father stuck in a hidden trap meant for people. William has a broken ankle. Danny helps his father escape and get home safely.
The "Sleeping Beauty" Plan
While his father is recovering, they learn about Mr. Hazell's big annual pheasant hunt. Mr. Hazell invites important people to this event. Danny and his father decide to play a trick on him. They want to catch all the pheasants in the forest before the hunt.
They come up with a clever plan called "Sleeping Beauty." They take sleeping pills prescribed for Danny's father by the village doctor, Doc Spencer. They put the medicine inside raisins. The pheasants will eat the raisins and fall asleep. This way, they can easily catch the birds.
Their plan works! They successfully catch 120 pheasants from Mr. Hazell's forest. They hide the sleeping birds at the local church's house. Then, they walk home, feeling very proud.
The Great Escape
The next day, the vicar's wife, Mrs. Clipstone, brings the pheasants to the garage. She uses a special baby carriage to carry them. But as the sleeping medicine wears off, the pheasants start to wake up! They begin flying out of the carriage. They are still sleepy, so they don't fly far.
Suddenly, Mr. Hazell arrives. He is furious to see his pheasants escaping. He starts yelling at Danny, his father, and Doc Spencer. With the help of the village policeman, Sergeant Enoch Samways, Danny and his father shoo the stunned pheasants. The birds fly over and even inside Mr. Hazell's fancy Rolls-Royce. This scratches the car's paint!
Mr. Hazell leaves in a huff, looking very silly. Many pheasants fly away, far from his property. The book ends with Danny's father, Doc Spencer, and Sgt. Samways calling Danny "the champion of the world." Six pheasants sadly didn't survive. Doc Spencer gives two to Sgt. Samways, two to Mrs. Clipstone, and two to Danny and his father. Danny and his father then plan to buy a new oven to cook their pheasants. They also think about trying to catch fish from a local stream.
TV Movie Adaptation
The book was made into a TV movie in 1989. It was produced by Thames Television. The movie was directed by Gavin Millar. Jeremy Irons played William, and his son, Samuel Irons, played Danny. Robbie Coltrane played the grumpy Mr. Hazell. You can find this movie on DVD.
Connections to Other Roald Dahl Books
Danny, The Champion of the World is based on an earlier short story by Roald Dahl. It was called The Champion of the World. This story first appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 1959. It was later included in a collection of stories called Kiss Kiss. The original story has a similar idea, but the main characters are adults.
In the book, William tells Danny a bedtime story about a "Big Friendly Giant." This giant catches good dreams and blows them into children's bedrooms. Roald Dahl later used this idea to write the full-length novel called The BFG.
Danny also mentions that his teacher, Captain Lancaster, hit him with a cane for cheating on a test. This is similar to a real experience Roald Dahl had with his own teacher, Captain Hardcastle. Dahl wrote about this in his autobiography.
See also
In Spanish: Danny, el campeón del mundo para niños
