Book Review: Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Father-Son Tale’s a Perfect Post-Lockdown Tonic

Roald Dahl’s father-son story, Danny the Champion of the World, is enjoyably brisk. With good transitions, exposition and Dahl’s surprise-laden storytelling, the novel unspools a light criminal caper—with the son of a widower and apprentice to his dad’s business narrating the action. Danny the Champion of the World is perfect for a post-pandemic kid’s reading list in the aftermath of state-ordered Lockdown.

In crisp, short sentences, with characteristic British charm and eccentricity, Dahl writes Danny’s tale of living in a wagon behind his father’s gasoline station and repair shop. There are bits about wildlife, cars and other machines, and, of course, the subtle humanism that marks Dahl’s work. This makes for a deft and interesting world to learn: “The filling station itself had only two pumps,” Danny explains. “There was a wooden shed behind the pumps that served as an office. There was nothing in the office except an old table and a cash register to put the money into. It was one o…