Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Amused, Playful
It’s easy to see that the author had fun writing The BFG. From The BFG’s language to the giants’ world to the characters like the butler, the Queen, and the Heads of the Army and Air Force, much of the story is either deeply imaginative or downright funny.
Throughout the book, Dahl narrates a bit of extra info to make readers smile, like, “The Queen, who was used to the tantrums of her senior officials, ignored him completely.” (21.47) He could have simply said that the Queen ignored the Army General, but he wants readers to know they have tantrums all the time. Why? Because it’s more fun when you imagine a serious, important official having a tantrum.