The Magic Finger facts for kids
First British edition (Allen & Unwin, 1968)
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| Author | Roald Dahl |
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| Illustrator | William Pène du Bois (first), Pat Marriott, Tony Ross, Quentin Blake |
| Cover artist | Pène du Bois (first), Marriott, Ross, Blake |
| Country | United States |
| Subject | Hunting, magic |
| Genre | Children's picture book, fantasy |
| Publisher | Harper & Row (first), George Allen & Unwin (first UK) |
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Publication date
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1966 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 40 |
| LC Class | PZ7.D1515 Mag |
The Magic Finger is a fantastic fantasy story written by the famous author Roald Dahl. He wrote it in 1962. This exciting book was first published in the United States in 1966. It came out as a picture book with amazing drawings by William Pène du Bois.
Later, in 1968, the book was also published in the United Kingdom. Other artists like Pat Marriott, Tony Ross, and Quentin Blake have also drawn pictures for different versions of the book. In 1990, The Magic Finger was even made into a TV special!
Contents
What's the Story About?
The story is told by an eight-year-old girl. She lives on a farm in the English countryside. Right next door to her lives the Gregg family. The Greggs love to go hunting for animals.
The Girl's Special Power
The girl has a secret power called the "Magic Finger." This power activates by itself whenever she gets really, really angry. When it happens, her finger shoots out a beam of energy. This beam goes towards whoever made her angry, and it causes unexpected things to happen!
The Gregg Family's Big Surprise
One day, the girl sees Mr. Gregg and his two sons coming home from a hunt. They have killed a deer, and they make fun of the girl when she tells them off for hunting. The girl gets super angry, and her Magic Finger zaps the whole Gregg family!
The next morning, the Greggs wake up to a huge surprise. They have shrunk to the size of birds! Even stranger, their arms have turned into wings. They try out their new wings and fly right out of their house.
A New Home and New Neighbors
As soon as the Greggs leave, a family of human-sized ducks moves into their house! These ducks even have human hands. The Greggs, now tiny and with wings, have to make a nest in an old tree to spend the night.
The next morning, the Greggs get another shock. The ducks from their house are now holding hunting guns! This is a big change, as the Greggs used to be the hunters.
Learning a Lesson
Mr. and Mrs. Gregg beg the ducks not to shoot them. The duck family reminds them how much they loved shooting, especially since the Greggs shot six of their children.
Mr. Gregg promises to stop hunting forever. He swears he will destroy all his guns and never hurt another duck, deer, or any other animal again. The ducks let them go, and the Greggs suddenly turn back to their normal size.
A Change of Heart
The girl visits the farm and sees that the Gregg family has completely changed. They even changed their last name to "Egg"! Now, they are busy feeding and taking care of birds instead of hunting them.
As they tell her their amazing story, the girl hears gunshots in the distance. She feels her Magic Finger starting to tingle again. The story ends as the girl runs off towards the sound, ready to use her power once more!
See also
In Spanish: El dedo mágico para niños
