ANYONE who has ever bought books for their own children or others already knows the power of writer Roald Dahl’s stories.

Everything from The BFG to James and the Giant Peach to Matilda offer wonderful, imaginative tales that delight and inspire children in equal measure.

Part of Dahl’s genius was not just in the innovative tales but in the new words he invented and which slotted into these stories so well. Now, almost 8,000 of them are included in a special Oxford dictionary, and we can enjoy again those glorious sounds.

Who could fail to be fascinated by swashboggling, phizz-whizzing or frobscottle? The names of characters were equally brilliant: the Snozzwangers, the deadly three-footed creature who preyed on the Oompa-Loompas or The Bloodbottler and The Bonecruncher, just two of his terrifying giants in The BFG.

Roald Dahl led the way in helping illustrate the power of words – even invented ones.