Roald Dahl's Mischief and Mayhem

by Roald Dahl

Yucky!

Where do you hide a glass eye?

Sticky!

How do you booby-trap a peach?

Tricky!

What do Matilda, the Twits, and Fantastic Mr Fox all have in common?

Professional tricksters put your cunning to the test~

Inside this phi-whizzing little book you'll find step-by-step instructions for making mischief and mayhem.

Strictly not suitable for giants (or grown-ups).

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Middle Grade, Fiction

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Roald Dahl was a beloved British author, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot, best known for his enchanting and often darkly humorous children's books that have captivated generations of readers around the world. Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl led a life marked by adventure, tragedy, creativity, and enduring literary success. His vivid imagination and distinctive storytelling style have made him one of the most celebrated children's authors in modern literature.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute compilation of excerpts from Dahl's books about pranks that characters pull, and possible pranks that child readers can pull, with bonus jokes and riddles. One suggestion is to put food coloring in shampoo... have any of you ever done that? I'd like to play with my hair color that cheaply...

Btw, it's probably a four star read for the right audience. It's also a helpful source for April Fools' Day pranks.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

titular sentence:
p8: It contains mischief and mayhem of such extreme naughtiness that you will need the cunning of Fantastic Mr Fox and the cleverness of Matilda to continue.

i-know-it's-all-exaggerations-but-this-is-extreme:
p33: 5. Go back to your motel and wait until a rocket is wheeled v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y to the launchpad and popped on top of it. You should hear a very sticky SLURP when this happens.

The snippets serve to relive portions of his hits.

Very ballsy claim of just 27 people on the planet who haven't heard of him!

[Sheryl Sato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapters from Roald Dahl's books intersperse with pranks you can attempt - if you dare.

[Dyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains recipes to do mischief and create mayhem. It is not supposed to be read by adults, it says... Well, let's bring forth our inner child then! :))

It's a fun read, and makes me want to buy all Roald Dahl's books :3

[Dhanya Jothimani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of excerpts from Roald Dahl’s books (Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Twits, Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches, Revolting Rhymes, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and the tricks he pulled as a kid (Boy: Tales of Childhood). Following each chapter is a (harmless) and sometimes funny (impossible) tricks that could be tried!

Enjoyable if you have read the books from which the excerpts are taken! :) It’s always fun to re-read excerpts (or even the whole books)!

[Tayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up today for 50p and had to read it again. Nice little throwback to my childhood of reading Roald Dahl with the added bonus of pranks based on some of the books that I would of loved as a kid!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’m outside of the target demographic for this (middle grade kids), it made me laugh. I enjoyed the snippets from Dahl’s other books and ways (some realistic, some decidedly not) for readers to copy them.

[Adaline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book if your a prankster and want some ideas links by to his book, I read it super quickly in like a night, it’s not long it’s fun and it tells a bit about the writer, personally it’s really not my favorite but it is good.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cracking good book. I really enjoyed it and was pretty funny here and there. I would recommend this book

[fishykrishi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic but kiddy 😭

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The excerpts of his books was great fun to read; cute jokes interspersed throughout; the tricks were just meh. Can see the appeal to kids, though.

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Pranks, tricks, mischief, and more in this ideal companion book to Roald Dahl’s beloved novels!

Professional tricksters put your cunning to the test. Inside this wicked little book, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for making mischief and mayhem as well as outrageous jokes, fiendish quizzes, and a few smelly surprises. Includes extracts from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Witches, and more. Like The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets, this book is a wonderful complement to Roald Dahl novels, with tons of great extras fans will love. It’s the perfect way to complete your Dahl collection!’
This book was fun.
As I am coming to the end of my Roald Dahl readathon I was excited to get to this book, and I am happy to say it was everything I had hoped it would be.
This book is filled with jokes, riddles, and pranks for readers both young and old to enjoy; and maybe even try. I loved that even though the information in this book compliments and relates to Roald Dahl’s books it is not actually necessary to have any prior Roald Dahl knowledge in order to enjoy this book.
Roald Dalh did a fantastic job in creating this collection. It was fun and funny, and since it’s a Roald Dahl book it was weird and wacky too. The way this book is set out and the jokes and facts that are provided really draw the reader in which is exactly what I had hoped for.
As with all of the Roald Dahl books I have read recently, this book was also illustrated by Quentin Blake. The illustrations in this book are scattered through various chapters and explain various pranks and tasks making it easier for young readers to understand.
I am glad that I decided to read this book towards the end of my Roald Dahl readathon as I feel I got way more out of it having read so many Roald Dahl books before picking this one up.
Mischief And Mayhem by Roald Dahl is perfect for young readers and readers who are young at heart.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

[Salma · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The Trunchbull is no match for Matilda!"

Roald Dahl's Mischief and Mayhem feels like something you'd pick up at a book fair, flip through for five minutes, and put back down again. It's marketed as a collection of Dahl's funniest, most mischievous moments, but what you actually get is a scattershot mix of excerpts, recycled jokes, and random trivia. If you've read even a handful of his books, none of this will feel new or remotely surprising.

There's no real flow to it: it jumps from story snippets to fun facts to activities, without much care or connection. The commentary tries to be cheeky and irreverent, but often comes across as forced. The humour doesn't really land without the full build-up of the original scenes. It's like someone pulled all the "naughty bits" from Dahl's stories and hoped that would carry a whole book; it doesn't.

Even the layout is distracting. Some pages are packed, others nearly empty, and the whole thing reads more like a novelty gift than a book meant to be read properly. It might work for very young readers (those who aren't yet familiar with Dahl's stories), but for anyone else, it feels like a cut-and-paste job with very little heart or effort. It’s the literary equivalent of a highlight reel with no context — flashy, but hollow.

One star, and that's being generous. The only mischief here is the way it pretends to be something fresh. If you want actual mayhem, just read George's Marvellous Medicine : at least those had a plot.

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this while testing out some new ebook software offered by my public library. This didn't really have anything that was new, but it was a quick and easy way to revisit bits of some favorite Dahl titles. Some of the suggested "mischief and mayhem" tricks were very silly and definitely not my favorite part of the book. I would suggest going to the actual Dahl books instead of this, if at all possible.

[Slow Man · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rereading Roald Dahl's stories is always a pleasurable experience.
But I don't really fancy about the tricks and pranks at the end of each story.

[Alex Bloodworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun way to re-read some of Roald Dahl's funniest passages from his writing. The author had her suggestions for mischief as well, some of which was funny and some of which was a bit dull.

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

yay!