The Wind In The Willows (BBC Children's Classics)

Kenneth Grahame

ISBN 10: 1846071178 ISBN 13: 9781846071171

Publisher: BBC Physical Audio, 2006

Synopsis

Richard Briers, Adrian Scarborough and Terence Rigby star in this full-cast dramatisation, narrated by Alan Bennett.When Mole abandons his spring cleaning one morning, he surfaces into the sunlight and encounters the Water Rat. Mole stays with Ratty in his snug waterside home, and soon he meets Ratty’s friends: Badger, who lives in the Wild Wood, and the incorrigible Toad of Toad Hall. This timeless tale of waterside Britain has been loved by generations of children and acclaimed as a classic. The story of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad and their escapades never fails to enchant. Many of the original cast from Alan Bennett's acclaimed National Theatre production appear in this Radio 4 dramatisation, including Richard Briers as Rat, Adrian Scarborough as Mole and Terence Rigby as Albert - with Alan Bennett as the narrator.

About this title

Review:

Mole "thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again." Such is the cautious, agreeable Mole's first introduction to the river and the "Life Adventurous". Emerging from his home at Mole End one spring, his whole world changes when he hooks up with the good-natured, boat-loving Water Rat, the boastful Toad of Toad Hall, the society-hating Badger who lives in the frightening Wild Wood, and countless other (mostly) well-meaning creatures. Grahame's The Wind in the Willows has enchanted readers for four generations, and this lavishly illustrated gift edition is perhaps the finest around. (All ages, or 9 to 12)

Review:

- "It is a book that breaks nearly every rule of modern children's fiction... it wasn't about fairies at the bottom of the garden, but it was about magic -- just the right kind of magic. It thrills me still to read it." --Shirley Hughes, The Times

About this edition

• Publisher: BBC Physical Audio
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1846071178
• ISBN 13: 9781846071171
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 1