As anyone who’s read any of the book in the HIVE series has probably figured out, I have a bit of an obsession with villains. I don’t really know what it is but, there’s just something about them that always makes them the most memorable characters for me. The hero always seems a bit bland in comparison and there have been a few occasions when I would find myself rushing through the sections about the do-gooder in my impatience to get to the next bit of delicious villainy. Having said that, there are a few villains from children’s books that I particularly love and today I thought I’d share three of my absolute favourites with you.
Cruella de Vil
When my daughter first saw the animated version of One Hundred and One Dalmatians she told me that her favourite character was “the nasty lady”. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud. This fur-loving monster is one of the all time greats. How can you fail to love anyone whose first thought upon seeing a dalmatian puppy is how lovely it would look as a coat? Made truly infamous by Disney’s adaptation of Dodie Smith’s Novel she has terrorised children and dog lovers for over fifty years
The White Witch
Bad enough that she’s the ruthless, self-proclaimed queen of Narnia but, only someone truly, spectacularly evil could force children to eat the world’s most revolting substance, which is, of course, Turkish Delight. I’m sorry, my personal tastes might have influenced things slightly there… Honestly though, I’m prepared to admit that you might see turning people to stone and plunging an entire world into a magical endless winter as somewhat more unpleasant, but, really, have you ever actually tasted the stuff? I could even forgive the whole Aslan sacrificing thing but, there’s simply no excuse for Turkish Delight under any circumstances.
Willy Wonka
Wait! Come back! I’ve not completely lost the plot, honestly! I know what you’re thinking, Willy Wonka’s not a villain. Oh really? Here’s a man who invites a group of unsuspecting children to his factory whereupon they all suffer a series of mysterious “accidents”. All the while he seems strangely unconcerned by these “accidents”, almost as if he might have planned the all along…. You might think he’s a good guy but I would argue that, in fact, he’s one of the most brilliant and subtly wriiten villains in all of children’s literature. Roald Dahl is, without doubt, my favourite children’s author of all time and he produced some of the most fantastic villains ever created. Whether it’s the Grand High Witch, Miss Trunchbull or Boggies, Bunce and Bean they are all spectacular examples of the art of creating truly loathsome bad guys. Wonka’s still the greatest though….
WIN!
Three sets of the HIVE series plus rucksack, t-shirt & wristbands