Born on September 13, 1916 in the country of Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl was many things before he became and author. After attending boarding schools in his youth Dahl enlisted in the Royal Air Force to fight for the British in World War II in 1940 and later became a spy for MI6. He didn't write his first full length children's novel, James and the Giant Peach, until 1961. He wrote several more before his death on November 23, 1990 at age 74.
After the success of James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl continued writing books for children for the next 30 years. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory featured the eccentric Willy Wonka and the kind-hearted Charlie Bucket. The story earned a movie adaptation just a few years after it was published. Gene Wilder starred in the 1971 movie as the title character in Willy Wonka and the Charlie Factory and Johnny Depp starred in the 2005 remake that followed the book more closely. It even earned a musical adaptation in 2013. The publications Fantastic Mr. Fox and Danny, Champion of the World followed in the 1970's and the 1980's saw the release of classics such as The BFG, The Witches, and Matilda, all of which were also turned into movies. Matilda, along with featuring the title character, features the characters of Miss Honey and the feared headmistress Miss Trunchbull. This was another one of Roald Dahl's stories that was adapted into a musical. The book was first published in 1988, the movie premiered in 1996, and the musical debuted in London's West End in 2010. Roald Dahl also wrote shorter novels such as George's Marvelous Medicine, The Twits, and Esio Trot. The story, The Minpins, was published a year after his death in 1991.
Learn about the life of Roald Dahl from his school years to his success as a children's author.
The children of Crunchem Hall and Miss Honey sing "When I Grow Up" followed by Matilda singing a reprise of "Naughty".
Illustrator Quentin Blake teaches you how to draw the famous character.