Stig of the Dump
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First edition
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| Author | Clive King |
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| Illustrator | Edward Ardizzone |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy adventure |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
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Publication date
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1 June 1963 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) Audiobook (read by Martin Jarvis) Audiobook (read by Tony Robinson |
| Pages | 157 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-14-034724-1 |
Stig of the Dump is a children's novel by Clive King published in 1963. It is regarded as a modern children's classic and is often read in schools.[1] It was illustrated by Edward Ardizzone and has been twice adapted for television, in 1981 and in 2002.
Plot summary
Barney is a young boy staying with his grandparents on the chalk Downs of southern England. He is the main character of the book and when he falls over the edge of an old chalk pit close to Barney's grandparents' house he tumbles down through the roof of Stig's den. When he looks round, there's Stig- apparently a 'caveman', with shaggy, black hair and bright black eyes. The chalk pit is disused and full of people's dumped rubbish.
Barney and Stig get on rather well together. They have to manage without language, as Stig speaks no English, but that doesn't seem to stop them. Stig's den is a place built out of discarded rubbish, that Barney enjoys.
Stig is Barney's secret friend, not because Barney doesn't tell anyone, but because no-one believes that Stig is real. They have a great time, improving Stig's den, collecting firewood, going hunting, and even catching some burglars who break into Barney's grandparents' house. It's really a collection of short-story adventures.
Although we see that Stig is a caveman, Barney hardly seems to give any thought to where Stig has come from until the end of the book. Then, during a very hot, sultry mid-summer's night, when Barney and his sister Lou can't sleep, they find themselves transported back in time and out onto the Downs. To their surprise, they meet Stig, back with his own people, engaged in the construction of four gigantic standing stones. They spend a magical night camping out with the people of Stig's tribe, and helping to shift the final stone into position before sunrise.
No explanation is given in the book for how the people appear to travel in time.
Adaptations
Stig of the Dump was adapted for television, firstly by Thames Television for ITV in 1981[2] and later by the BBC in 2002 starring Thomas Sangster, Robert Tannion, Nick Ryan, Geoffrey Palmer, Phyllida Law, Perdita Weeks, and Michaela Dicker.[3] The BBC series won the BAFTA Children's Film & Television Award and its writer, Peter Tabern, received the Best Children's Writer award. The series has been released on DVD.[4]
The book has also been adapted for the theatre, to critical acclaim.[5] Topologika Software Ltd has published an adventure game based on the first three chapters of the book, for Windows.[6]
References
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