In the words of Roald Dahl, "don't gobblefunk around with words." So to all of the parents out there who are unsure of how to discuss the heavy but inspiring moments in The BFG, our friends at Common Sense Media [1] are here to help.
There are plenty of dark moments in director Steven Spielberg [2]'s adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved fantasy book [3] — but lots of heart, too. Which means that this Common Sense Seal [4]-honored story of the unlikely bond between young orphan Sophie and the giant who kidnaps her (but turns out to be the nicest of his people) offers families lots of things to talk about. Try these topics/questions to get started:
- What makes Sophie such a strong character? Do you think she's a good role model [5]? Why? Can you think of other movies featuring strong female characters?
- What was the scariest part of the movie? Did the scary parts make the movie sadder or more fun? Why? How much scary stuff can young kids handle [6]?
- What did this movie teach you about friendship? Which specific happenings were examples of empathy [7], courage [8], and perseverance [9]? Why are those important character strengths [10]?
- Why do you think the BFG didn't eat "beans" like the other giants did? In what other ways is he different from the other giants?
- Kids: If you read the book, how do you think the movie compares? Did some scenes in the movie look different in your mind? Do you like reading a book before it gets made into a movie?