Revolting Rhymes
Part of the Roald Dahl universeOpen the collection
Dahl's twisted fairy-tale verse collection is sharp, funny and superb aloud. It is a strong recommendation for children who know traditional tales and enjoy seeing them rudely, darkly and hilariously upended.
- Best for6–10
- FormatPoetry
- Length80 pp
- Read aloud~32 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Rhyming
- Comedic
- Literary
- Repetitive
Tone
- Funny
- Irreverent
- Dark
- Absurdist
- Silly
Themes
- Creativity and imagination
- Fairness and justice
- Moral ambiguity
- Power and authority
- Consequences of actions
- Courage
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Revolting Rhymes retells six familiar fairy tales in Dahl's unmistakable comic voice. Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs all appear, but none behave quite as expected. These are not soft nursery retellings: Dahl's versions are cheeky, violent, subversive and full of surprise endings. Quentin Blake's illustrations help keep the tone comic, while the rhyming verse makes the collection excellent for reading aloud. The book is particularly useful for children who already know the original stories and can enjoy the joke of seeing them turned upside down. It is also a good poetry gateway because the rhythm is immediate and funny. Sensitivity is moderate because some poems include comic violence, guns, death and deliberately shocking reversals.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 6–10
- Read aloud · 5–10
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: violence, scary imagery, death of character.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Twisted fairy tales
- Rhyming read aloud
- Funny poetry
- Dark humour
- Short burst reading
Avoid if
- Sensitive to comic violence
- Wants gentle fairy tales
- Prefers sincere retellings
- Sensitive to weapons
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Roald Dahl's wickedly funny rhyming fairy-tale parodies — a riotous performance and read-aloud collection, and a great hook into poetry and traditional tales.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is the wrong endings — every fairy tale a seven-year-old already knows, told again with the wolf shot, the prince ditched, the pigs armed. A child gets the satisfaction of being smug about the original version while laughing at the better one. The poetry book most often quoted back at parents.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Breaking the rules safely
- Revenge on adults
- The underdog winning
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Dahl most parents discover surprises them — the rhyming meter is genuinely tight, the subversion lands, and the book reads aloud at family-Christmas energy. Best for a child who knows the original fairy tales well enough to feel the joke. Quentin Blake's illustrations carry the comic violence into safe territory.
- Great writing
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Beloved classic
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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