What a concoction! (George's Marvellous Medicine - Roald Dahl)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	George's Marvellous Medicine - Roald Dahl
Date:	14/07/09 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great tale and imagination

Disadvantages: Nothing really

Say what you like about Roald Dahl, but the man certainly had a vivid and creatvie imagination. I have always marvelled at the random stories of his, from the BFG to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and this book is no different.

George's Marvellous Medicine introduces us to George, a young boy who is fed up. He's fed up with his mother, his father, the boring scenery, the boring animals on the farm, and most of all his grandmother. She's a bit cantankerous, grouchy, miserable, and has disgusting eating habits.

So, one day, when his mother goes out, he is left in charge of making sure Grandma gets her medicine. Cue Dahl's imagination, as George goes around throwing anything and everything into a pot to make a substitute to shake Grandma up, including paint and chemicals.

When he gives the new, special medicine he has made to her, it has weird and unpredictable consequences. I'm not going to spoil the book for you by telling you what happens, nor will I tell you whether he is able to restore a bit of normality to his life and his family, but it's a thoroughly entertaining read, and one worth giving a go.

The particualr version I have is quite old now, with the pages getting a little loose. There are illustrations by Quentin Blake in them, wihich are quite imaginative and capture the story very well. The tale itself is well written, and the imaginative side of it means that it's great for kids. My 5 year old son loves it. We recently read Fantastic Mr Fox, and I would say that it has elements about it in the writing style that he recognises between the two books.

It's also easy enough for him to have a go at reading himself, which he is doing more and more and more with everything he sees. A book such as this is great for reading at bedtime, but it's also one that you can leave with them if they want to read for a bit on their own.

Overall, a very well written book. It's quite short, with decent sized writing and a few illustrations leaving 112 pages in all, and aimed at kids. There are Dahl books which are longer and more suitable if you want a tale for an older kid or an adult, but I find this ideal for my 5 year old.

Summary: Good book from Dahl