From Christmas Eve through to New Year’s Day, there’s a feast of Puffin book adaptations on television this Christmas. To help you plan your viewing time, we’ve trawled through the television guide and put together the ultimate list of the best TV programmes to enjoy together this Christmas. Now you can watch all your favourite new and classic Puffin stories from the comfort of your sofa.
Tag Archives: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Golden Tickets found in India!
2014 was a whipple-scrumptious year celebrating all things Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – and 5 Amazon and Penguin India competition winners found themselves flying to London with real golden tickets grasped in their hands. Many wonders awaited this lucky quintet, from roller skating Oompa Loompas in the WestEnd to a real English tea at Puffin and a chance to explore The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden. Read on to hear of Arushi and Vedika’s adventures!
Arushi, aged 7
“It was one of the happiest days of my life when my mum told me that we had won a holiday to London! It made me feel like Charlie Bucket in my most favourite Roald Dahl book Charlie and The Chocolate Factory which I had read many times. And it was not just me. There were four other children along with their parents. I was wondering what they would be like.
Roald Dahl Audiobooks App faces the Dragons
Hello readers we have a very special trip we would like to share with you – yes you! On September 16th we Puffins went on an exciting expedition to the Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust. What is the Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust you may well ask? Well, it’s less fiery then you think.
This wonderful, and quite magical, charity provides social, educational and recreational opportunities for children living around London. It’s all about developing hidden talents and creativity is a must – so who better to road test the new Roald Dahl Audiobooks App than the Dragon Hallers?
In case your ears haven’t been lucky enough to listen yet, the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App has 19 free chapters– and if you like what you hear, then you can download the whole story.
This is what happened when thirteen 8 – 10 year olds, armed with some clever electronic devices, tested the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App. First things first, they listened to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (read by Douglas Hodge the very first Willy Wonka to tap dance and roller skate his way across the WestEnd stage)
Then each group played with the app for 15-20 mins, exploring all its features.
The final and most important part – we collected their feedback!
And what did they think?
Keren, 8 “I found it super easy and enjoyed flipping through the pages”
Kirsty, 9 “ I enjoyed the music”
Akram, 10 “I enjoyed everything!”
Melat, 9 “It was really interesting”
Amira, 10 “I enjoyed listening to the stories and just imagining it was fun”
Overall they loved the sound effects (whizz pops are always a winner), wanted to listen to more stories and would even recommend it to their family. But they did raise some very good points; they wanted more colours, more pictures, more games add-ons and even mini-movies. Which are all fantastic ideas. Our digital team better watch out because it looks like they’ve got some competition . . .
Thanks to everyone at Dragon Hall for taking part.
You can also try the Roald Dahl app yourself today and let us know what you think in the comments section below! Happy listening!
Have an idea for a brilliant blog post? Buzzing with words? Then email puffin@uk.penguingroup.com with Puffin Blog in the headline.
Willy Wonka’s Inventing Room
Celebrate 50 whipple-scrumptious years of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, hosted by former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton, the show will be streaming live to schools all around the world from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, home of the new musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. From a draw-along with Sir Quentin Blake to a global sing-along of Pure Imagination led by members of the cast! Plus tickle your taste buds with a Willy Wonka inspired cookery feature, send in your questions for the live Q&A with Roald Dahl expert Michael Rosen and look forward to a few surprises. Suitable from viewers aged 7 and up.
Sign up to watch the live show, Monday 15th September 2pm. Don’t be late! www.puffinvirtuallylive.co.uk
Puffin’s trip to the theatre – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Not far from Puffin’s home, only a short waddle across a
busy road and up a small hill, it loomed large and bright. An enormous,
gigantuous, humungous purple-wrappered Wonka Bar – with a glint of a golden
ticket just poking out of the corner. It was Puffin’s first visit to the
Theatre, and he was going to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Puffin had always loved the tale of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Settling into a plush velvet
seat that was far too big, clutching his copy of one of his favourite Roald
Dahl stories, his lifted his beak to survey the rows of seats that reached up
to the ceiling, and the hundreds of children swarming into the theatre,
escaping the grasp of their parents, sensing more than any grown up could that
there was magic in the air.
”I wonder when we’ll see Wonka?”, Puffin thought, taking a
nibble of his chocolate bar. Before Puffin could wonder any further, the lights
dimmed and silence fell over the auditorium. The show was about to begin.
The first act passed in a whirlwind of whizz-popping sound,
bombastic dancing, shrill and soaring singing and toe-tapping body-thumping
music. It was a whirlwind of cowering parents, buckets of Buckets, choco-mania
and expertly disgusting children. Puffin felt awfully sorry for skinny little
Charlie Bucket, and tried in vain to give him his chocolate bar that he’d
brought along as a snack, nudging it with his flipper, until rather unfortunately it fell into the orchestra pit.
Puffin didn’t have to wait long until his hero appeared.
There, against the backdrop of the factory’s windows, alight and blinking,
stood Wonka! Top hat proudly atop his head, vividly dressed in his purple velvet
coat and jade green suit. Puffin was thrilled to see the figment of his
imagination strutting, stalking and even skating around the stage.
Too soon it was all over, and Puffin hopped off his seat and
bid the Puffin team goodbye , his mind full of the magical Glass Elevator and
the super fluffy Squirrels who could detect the Bad Nuts.
Snuggled safe back in his burrow, Puffin opened his copy of
Roald Dahl’s Charlie, to return to a version of the story that he knew and
loved so well; unfolding, before him, in his Puffin paperback.
Puffin
52 Puffins – # 15 Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
What is 52 Puffins – Waiting in the wings? Well, although we love our main characters, in 2013 we think it's time to celebrate the supporting cast: the extras with the witty one-liners, the dastardly villains and the best friend every hero would be lost without. Who's your favourite?
Download 52 Puffins – Questions – Download me! and send your answers to puffinblog@uk.penguingroup.com
1. Name: Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
2. Famous Friends
Charlie Bucket – although it is a very odd friendship
indeed as it is hard to know whether Willy actually has any emotions at all to
begin with!
3. Hero or villain?
Ooooooh, I honestly couldn’t say, this is what makes
him such a great character. Regardless of what a pain Veruca Salt is can we
really say it was heroic to put her down the garbage chute?
4. Why you love him?
Because they are unlikely pair. They are brought
together by fate and both help to improve each others lives. Willy Wonka finally
gets companionship and Charlie and his family don’t have to be so poor.
5. What’s his catchphrase?
This is
definitely an impossible choice, pretty much everything Mr Wonka says is as
imaginative and crazy as the next. Let’s use out his Coleridge inspired
description of the chocolate waterfall, ‘bubbles, bubbles everywhere yet not a
drop to drink!’
6. What wouldn’t he leave the house without?
His top hat!
7. Tell us something we might not know
Roald Dahl was unhappy when this book came turned
into a film as he thought it relied too much on Willy Wonka and ignored
Charlie!!
8. What really annoys him?
Spoilt, ungrateful little kids
9. What does he dream of?
Copious amounts of sweets and chocolate.
10. Where would you go to hang out together?
Probably a funfair. There is cotton candy, candy
canes, rides and excitement, pretty much everything Wonka has in his factory…
Every week, for 52 weeks, we'll feature one nomination right here on the blog! If you'd like to share your favourite character from a Puffin book, them send us your answers – and don't forget to draw a picture!
NEWSFLASH: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical trailer!
It has to be believed to be seen – that's what they're saying!
Well, here’s a first glimpse. We’re jumping up-and-down and jigging like
Grandpa Joe right now. Previews are from May, so keep your eyes peeled for
wayward Oompa-Loompas. Have
you got your golden ticket yet?
52 Puffins – # 6 Grandpa Joe
This week's '52 Puffins' nomination comes from Helen Foster. She's 21 and enjoys reading, baking and stamp collecting. Anyone know what the official title of a stamp expert is . . .
What is 52 Puffins – Waiting in the wings? Well, although we love our main characters, in 2013 we think its time to celebrate the supporting cast: the extras with the witty one-liners, the dastardly villains and the best freind every hero would be lost without. Who's your favourite? Download 52 Puffins – Questions – Download me!and send your answers to puffinblog@uk.penguingroup.com
1. Name: Grandpa Joe (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
2. Famous Friends?
Married to grandma Josephine and shares a bed with Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina . . . also claims to know Willy Wonka.
3. Hero or villain?
HERO!
4. Why you love him?
Although he is 96 1/2 and bed-ridden he proves that there is a child in all of us when he is just as excited to visit the chocolate factory as Charlie!
5. What’s his catchphrase?
"I've heard tell that what you imagine can sometimes come true"
6. What wouldn’t he leave the house without?
A good reason to!
7. Tell us something we might not know.
Grandpa Joe had not been out of bed for 20 years - until he jumped for joy when Charlie found the golden ticket.
8. What really annoys him?
He is furious when Willy Wonka crushes Charlie's dream of a lifetime's supply of chocolate.
9. What does he dream of?
He dreams of Charlie visiting Willy Wonka's Chocolate facotry which finally comes true when he finds his golden ticket.
10. Where would you go to hang out together?
We could go anywhere in the world once we'd stepped aboard the great glass elevator.
Every week, for 52 weeks, we'll feature one nomination right here on the blog! If you'd like to share your favourite character from a Puffin book, them simply print off the question form and send it back – and don't forget to draw a picture!
Answer: philatelist
Follow @roald_dahl for phizz-whizzing fun
thepuffinblog.wordpress.com 