Roald Dahl's Top 10 characters: by Michael Rosen Danny from Danny Champion of the World People often think that Roald Dahl only wrote about horrible people or people who do horrible things to each other. Danny and his father really love each other and a boy and his dad like that in children's books is pretty rare. I like the way Danny tells us what he likes about his Dad, especially that his Dad was 'sparky'. The Pig from Dirty Beasts Clever and wicked! The pig in this rhyme is a typical Dahl character, an underdog who solves his or her problem in a peculiar, funny or horrible way. I particularly like the way the pig has to do some figuring about 'What LIFE was really all about'. Mrs Twit from The Twits How can you like the Twits? They are disgusting, awful, selfish people and yet there's something weirdly lovable about them. I think Roald Dahl knew very well that if you exaggerate a part of people's characters you end up with something we find funny. The scene when Mrs Twit tricks Mr Twit into eating worms with his spaghetti is really good. And then she tells him that's what he's just eaten! Little Red Riding Hood from Revolting Rhymes Again, someone who is the underdog, clever and wicked. In the version of the tale that most of us read, Little Red Riding Hood comes over as the victim but Roald Dahl makes her into someone who can deal with the wolf all by herself, famously whipping 'a pistol from her knickers' and by the end wearing a 'lovely, furry WOLFSKIN COAT'. Bruce Bogtrotter from Matilda Matilda is of course the character who defeats Miss Trunchbull but there is a great victory on the way: it's when Bruce Bogtrotter eats the whole chocolate cake. Miss Trunchbull is funny but terrifying with it, so any setback is a welcome relief. So, when the class cheer him on, so do we. George from George's Marvellous Medicine Roald Dahl was one of the first people to create situations where horrible people could be your very closest parents or carers and then have the children overcome them in amazing and awful ways. George is so resolute and resourceful in his mixing up of potions in order to rid himself of his awful grandmother. And it works! The BFG from The BFG I think the BFG is a wonderful person to have invented: huge, kind, fearful, rude, loving, muddle-headed. I particularly like the way he speaks, muddling up his words, inventing new words, and talking with a strange grammar. Grandmother from The Witches Every so often, Roald Dahl created people who were perfect. Miss Honey was one, and the Grandmother in The Witches is another. These people make us feel safe in a world full of beastliness. I have a funny feeling that the Grandmother was Roald Dahl's way of writing a tribute to his amazing mother. Roald Dahl from Boy My last choice is a bit of cheat, Roald Dahl himself. In fact, there are two Roald Dahls in this book: the Dahl he is writing about, and the Dahl who is doing the writing.I enjoy them both, the boy who is struggling with his loneliness and fear by thinking up tricks and the Dahl (see below, aged 6) who is not afraid to tell us about things he thinks were wrong about the way things were run at that time. Fantastic Mr Dahl by Michael Rosen, out now, is published by Puffin. To celebrate Roald Dahl Day, Michael Rosen will be taking part in a live interactive webcast on Mon 24th Sept in conversation with Quentin Blake. Register at www.puffinvirtuallylive.co.uk