What Makes Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton So Successful? (And How to Write Stories Kids Love)

Before the boom of social media, most kids' entertainment came in the form of books. Most kids of the 70s, 80s or 90s read stories by Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton at some point in their childhood. Ever wondered how, decades after they were published, titles like Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Famous Five and The Magic Faraway Tree are still fixtures on children's bookshelves around the world?

While their writing styles and eras differed, Dahl and Blyton shared one trait: they wrote from a child's point of view. Whether you're an aspiring children's author, a teacher, or a parent who wants to craft original tales, understanding how these two masters of children's stories worked gives you a blueprint for writing stories kids truly love.

Roald Dahl's Style: Whimsy and Dark Humor

Roald Dahl understood something fundamental about kids: they often feel small, powerless and surrounded by unreasonable rules. His stories offer the ultimate emotional release. In Dahl's books (Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), the adults in charge are often greedy, cruel or absurdly foolish, like Miss Trunchbull or Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker.

Dahl puts the power in the hands of children, the young heroes of his stories. They use their intelligence, resilience and ingenuity to outsmart giant villains and solve problems, rather than waiting for adults to save them.

Dahl never let formal grammar get in the way of fun. In The BFG he invented his own rhythmic language, Gobblefunk, with words like snozzcumbers, whizzpoppers and scrumdiddlyumptious. Kids love wordplay that feels mischievous and alive.

Enid Blyton's Style: Comfort, Magic and Adventure in Your Own Backyard

If Dahl provided thrilling, whimsical adventures, Enid Blyton provided the comfort of secret worlds and independent adventure. With over 600 books, Blyton mastered cozy, immersive storytelling.

Blyton showed kids that magic isn't in distant galaxies: it could happen right in the woods behind your house. Climbing a giant tree to discover ever-changing lands at the top gave children the sense that secret worlds exist just around the corner, woven into their daily lives.

In series like The Famous Five, Blyton fostered a sense of belonging between young readers and the group. Children have a deep need to belong. Grouping kids together on secret missions and meetings built an irresistible camaraderie between readers and the heroes of the books.

Blyton also understood the satisfaction of everyday things. Her descriptions of ginger beer, picnic lunches, midnight feasts and cozy firesides make young readers feel they're part of the adventure.

How to Combine Dahl and Blyton in Modern Storywriting

When you write your own children's stories, combine the best of both masters with these three rules.

Rule 1: Give Your Child Hero Full Autonomy

Never let a parent or teacher solve the story's main problem. Let your child hero make the key choice, find the secret clue or stand up to the villain.

Rule 2: Create Clear, Satisfying Morality

Children appreciate clear lines between right and wrong. Make your heroes kind, curious and resilient, and make bad behavior obvious, so the story feels deeply satisfying when justice is served.

Rule 3: Ground Magic in Everyday Settings

Start your story in a relatable, ordinary place (a bedroom, a backyard, a school desk) before introducing the magical element: a hidden doorway, a talking toy, a strange book.

Practical Takeaways

Writing for children doesn't require complex prose or grown-up logic. By blending Roald Dahl's child empowerment and cheeky humor with Enid Blyton's cozy secret worlds and fast-paced adventure, you can craft stories that capture a child's imagination and keep them reading night after night.

For stories in this spirit, try Papyrly's The Tree of Forgotten Toys, where two children find a magical willow tree, or The Secret Library of Sandwiches.