The story begins on a small farm in the English countryside. The story's narrator, an unnamed young girl, introduces herself and shares a little bit about her special abilities. She says that she has a "magic finger" that shoots lightning at people who make her angry. This lightning often brings about dramatic transformations. I remember not liking The Magic Finger as a kid despite being a huge Roald Dahl fan but I couldn’t quite put my finger (ahhh!) on why, so I thought I’d re-read it to see if maybe my view on it has changed - and it hasn’t! The Magic Finger is narrated by an eight-year-old girl, growing up on a farm, in the English countryside, next door to the Gregg family, who have a passion for hunting. Hmm. Ok. This is just an aside but I feel like it’s worth mentioning. Hunters have been given a really bad rap this past hundred years or so in the West and that really needs to stop. I think a large part of that is down to Disney, not just for that notorious scene from Bambi but for their many lovable talking animal characters. And that’s what turns some people to vegetarianism or veganism.

Mrs. Winter is the narrator's teacher. She is described as being grouchy and critical. She is the first person the narrator uses her powers on, inadvertently turning her, partially, into a cat.This edition also features substance after the story that I really liked. There are quotes from Dahl, a picture of things he kept on his desk, facts, trivia, & a lot of other neat stuff that made it really interesting. I really loved the quirky things he kept on his desk ! The story is a classic but no less wonderful tale of the value of life and how humans often think animals less. As usual in Roald Dahl's stories, they are being taught the error of their ways - and in a pretty funny way too. This is one of his shorter stories but has immediately become one of my favourites!

She recounts a time when her teacher, Mrs. Winter, criticized her for misspelling the word "cat." She says that the teacher was zapped by the finger and sprouted whiskers and a tail. The whole class laughed at her. She adds mysteriously that the teacher was never quite the same after that. The finger, she notes, causes unexpected things. The sessions are best suited for children in years 2-3, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. I could go on but I’ll just leave it at this: hunting is vastly more complex than simply seeing it as a sadistic activity for psychos. Kudos, Mr. Dahl for all your delightful work. Children of many generations can surely rely on being entertained and educated with these wonderful pieces. The 8-year-old girl comes by the Greggs' farm to see that the Gregg family (now changing their surname to Egg) have fully changed their ways and are now feeding and caring for the birds. As Philip and William tell the girl their entire story, the sound of gunfire in the distance attracts the girl's attention, and she feels the Magic Finger charging up again.The Magic Finger is a children's story published by Roald Dahl in 1966. Different editions were illustrated by William Pene du Bois, Tony Ross, and Quentin Blake. It's almost tradition that the first book of the year is one by Roald Dahl. This year, I've chosen a book about an 8-year-old girl that remains unnamed (first-person narrator), who lives next door to a family with two boys. Both boys go hunting with their dad every day, which doesn't sit right with the girl since killing animals just for fun is wrong (I completely agree). Narrated by Kate Winslet, this story was delightful to listen to. She does an excellent job with tone and characterization!