Wind in the Willows (Penguin Classics)

Grahame, Kenneth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143039091 ISBN 13: 9780143039099

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 2005

Kenneth Graham's The Wind in the Willows is one of the most celebrated works of literature for children, and this Penguin Classics edition contains notes and an introduction by Gillian Avery.

Meek little Mole, wilful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant, boastful Toad: over one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly and friendship. And their misadventures - in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their beloved Wild Wood - continue to capture readers' imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie.

This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad, and new introduction by children's literature historian Gillian Avery.

Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was an English bank official, writer, author of The Wind in the Willows (1908), set in the idyllic English countryside. The work established Grahame's international reputation as a writer of children's books and has deeply influenced fantasy literature.

If you enjoyed The Wind in the Willows, you might enjoy JM Barrie's Peter Pan, also available in Penguin Classics.

'A charming book'
Terry Jones

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 what I call a Household Book . . . a book which everybody in the household loves, and quotes continually ever afterwards; a book which is read aloud to every new guest."
-A. A. Milne