Stig of the Dump facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Clive King |
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| Illustrator | Edward Ardizzone |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy adventure |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
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Publication date
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1 June 1963 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) Audiobook (read by Martin Jarvis) Audiobook (read by Tony Robinson |
| Pages | 157 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-14-034724-1 |
Stig of the Dump is a super popular children's book written by Clive King. It first came out in the United Kingdom in 1963. Many people think it's a classic story, and kids often read it in schools. The book has cool drawings by Edward Ardizzone. It's been made into a TV show twice, once in 1981 and again in 2002. It was even on the radio for schools in 1964 and later on the famous BBC show Blue Peter.
Contents
The Story of Stig of the Dump
The story is about a young boy named Barney. He is staying with his grandparents in the chalk Downs of southern England. Barney often feels bored during his visit.
Barney Meets Stig
One day, Barney is exploring near his grandparents' house. He tumbles over the edge of an old chalk pit. He falls right through the roof of a secret den! Inside the den, Barney meets its owner, Stig. Stig is a caveman with messy black hair and bright, dark eyes. The chalk pit is no longer used and is full of old, dumped rubbish.
A Special Friendship
Barney and Stig quickly become good friends. They learn to talk to each other without using words, because Stig does not speak English. Stig's den is built from all the old rubbish. Barney wants to help Stig make it look nicer. They spend time fixing up Stig's den and making it better. They also collect firewood together.
They even go hunting for food. One exciting time, they catch some burglars! These burglars break into Barney's grandparents' house. Another time, some bullies called the Snarget brothers corner Barney. But when Stig shows up, the bullies become very calm. Barney tells other people about Stig, but no one believes him. Only the Snargets know Stig is real.
A Trip Through Time
Barney starts to wonder where Stig came from. One very hot summer night, Barney and his sister Lou cannot sleep. They suddenly find themselves transported back in time! They are out on the Downs, and to their surprise, they meet Stig again. This time, Stig is with his own people. They are building four huge standing stones. Barney and Lou spend the night camping with Stig's tribe. They help to move the last stone into place before the sun comes up.
Stig of the Dump on Screen and Stage
Stig of the Dump has been made into TV shows and even a play.
Television Shows
The book was first made into a TV show by Thames Television for ITV in 1981. Later, the BBC made another TV series in 2002. This BBC show starred actors like Thomas Sangster, Robert Tannion, and Geoffrey Palmer. The BBC series won a special award called the BAFTA Children's Film & Television Award. The writer, Peter Tabern, also won an award for Best Children's Writer. You can even find the BBC series on DVD.
Other Adaptations
The book has also been turned into a play for the theatre. Many people really liked the play. A company called Topologika Software Ltd made a computer game based on the first three chapters of the book. It was made for computers that use Windows. Also, a part of Stig of the Dump was in the June 2016 edition of Storytime magazine. It had new drawings by a Spanish artist named Oriol Vidal.
