Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl wasn’t keen on the 1971 film of his book starring the Hollywood star Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka — he wanted the Irish comedian and poet Spike Milligan to have the role; and the recent Tim Burton remake was far too dark for most true Charlie fans. Curl up with a bar of chocolate and a copy of the book instead.
The Sheep-Pig A pig who thinks he’s a sheepdog: it’s a great idea for a story, so why mess with it? The 1995 movie Babe was an adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig. The film is great fun but that pig sure sounds strange with his American accent. King-Smith was a farmer for 20 years, so savour his authentic words first.
Where the Wild Things Are Having sold more than 19 million copies worldwide, there’s a reason why WTWTA is so popular. Max’s fantasy world of monsters is so exciting that you won’t want to put it down, and the pictures are some of the best-loved in children’s literature. The 2009 film adaptation, despite its enormous budget, was dark and angry — read Maurice Sendak’s book and see the story as it was meant to be seen.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis’s beautiful descriptions and lifelike characters will make you feel as if you’re living and breathing the snow-filled world of Mr Tumnus, Aslan and the frightening White Witch — a land that the rather sluggish film failed to capture. Walking through the wardrobe with the 1950 novel, armed with your own imagination, is much more fun than two hours in front of the TV.
Alice in Wonderland You may have been wowed by the 3-D effects in Tim Burton’s movie remake, but nothing compares to the magical story created by Lewis Carroll in his 1865 book. Imagine your own Mad Hatter’s tea party and put yourself in Alice’s shoes as she falls down the rabbit hole — your mind can create things you’ll never see on screen.
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Treasure Island If you found yourself stranded on a desert island, wouldn’t you rather chill under a palm tree with a great book than wander about looking for a DVD player? It’s hard to beat the original Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, with its pirates and buried treasure. The Disney movie was made in 1950; the fearsome Long John Silver is much more authentic on the page. As for Muppet Treasure Island, the less said about it the better.