He said the publisher was used to “taking part in cultural discourse and debate”. He added: “Sometimes that can be challenging and uncomfortable, and this has certainly been one of those times.” The Classic Collection will “sit alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers”, the publisher said in a statement, adding that the the latter series of books “are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time”.

In a public statement, Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said the publisher had “listened to the debate over the past week” and it had “reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl’s books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation”. Genuinely scary for small children, this story of a loveable giant is just as effective today as it was when i read it as a child.

Multibuys

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, who rose to prominence in the 1940's with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors. Dahl manages to create the perfect anti-hero in this kids book - a thief who we are actually supporting. He's not stealing for any reason other than to eat, yet those he is stealing from are shown as villains, and at no point do we think this reasoning is incorrect! Absolute genius!

Roald Dahl's most famous novel is also one of his most memorable- there aren't many people who have read this that couldn't recite most of the plot points verbatim.Changes to Dahl’s books in the 2022 editions include using “enormous” rather than “fat” to describe the antagonist Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and “beastly” rather than “ugly and beastly” to describe Mrs Twit in The Twits.

Philip Pullman – also published by Penguin Random House – said Dahl’s books should be allowed to go out of print, while prime minister Rishi Sunak said the issue was one of free speech. The Telegraph’s associate editor Christopher Hope described the announcement of the new collection as an “extraordinary win” for the reporters who broke the original story, but others were critical of the publisher’s move. Sam Missingham, publishing commentator and founder of The Empowered Author book marketing service, said the decision was “truly pitiful” and that the debate has been a distraction from more important issues. His first children's book was The Gremlins, about mischievous little creatures that were part of RAF folklore. The book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made, and published in 1943. Dahl went on to create some of the best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. On Thursday, Camilla, the Queen Consort, appeared to weigh in on the debate. At a Clarence House reception for her online book club, she told authors : “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

Creative Play

Although not as humorous as some of Dahl's other works, the ideas are still funny and silly and will keep kids entertained.