Stig of the Dump: 60th Anniversary Edition (A Puffin Book)

Product Information

Stig of the Dump has never been out of print and has sold more than 2 million copies since it was published in 1963. Stig, as Barney names him, does not have language - at least, not until the final surreal ending - but they manage to communicate through gestures and form a friendship. Stig is an enigma, but the two quickly form an alliance of almost-communication and trust, of sharing, exchange and solidarity. Thanks to this book, I used to make camps in the garden with bits that I could find in the shed and hidden in corners.

Although it is now over 50 years old, contemporary children will love reading about the pair's lively adventures. There were stones and bones, fossils and bottles, skins and tins, stacks of sticks and hanks of string. This was before even video recording was available to the public so, one had to watch it while is was airing. It is left unclear whether Barney sees much more of Stig, or even whether Stig stays in the rapidly-filling rubbish dump.

There is a lot of wonderful risk taking in the story which will appeal to most adventurous children. I was expecting it to be a simple, fun, mildly enjoyable read, which I would have better appreciated had I read it at 9 years old (which is when everyone else seemed to read it).

Stig of the Dump is a story that teaches us that there is common ground and friendships to be found in the most unlikely of places, between people who at first glance couldn't be more different. The chapter featuring a fox-hunt is masterful, dealing with the subject so subtly and humorously but at the same time conveying a very definite point of view, I thought. I wasn't sure what to expect here - I wondered if it would descend into stereotypes, but in fact it deftly turns the stereotypes on their head. They spend time repairing and improving Stig's den, collecting firewood, going hunting, and at one point catching some burglars who break into Barney's grandparents' house. Your children will read Chapter 8 of the book and answer the questions based on their knowledge and understanding.It was illustrated by Edward Ardizzone and has been twice adapted for television, in 1981 and in 2002. There would be too many issues about Stig’s primitive ways and while I am not against such discussions, I don't think reading this book would be helpful. The book is a bit old fashioned by today's standards, and Barney is what people would regards as 'posh' - for example, his sister rides to hounds in one chapter, though the hunt is undermined by Stig's actions in saving the fox, because he only hunts animals that are good to eat.