Product Description

First published in 1908, Kenneth Grahame's story of the riverbank adventures of Mole, Water Rat, Badger and the exasperating Toad has become a true classic of English literature, loved by children and adults alike. Ages 4+.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15124 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-04
• Format: Abridged
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 180 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review

With a half-turn of the wheel Toad sent the car crashing through the low roadside hedge. One mighty bound, a violent shock, and the wheels of the car were churning up the thick mud of a horse-pond. Toad found himself flying through the air with the delicate curve of a swallow. He liked the motion, and was just beginning to wonder whether he would develop wings when he landed with a thump, in the rich soft grass of a meadow.

This presentation of the well-loved children's story is in every way a classic, but it also retains a wonderful sense of fun.

Abridged and illustrated by Inga Moore, this hardback edition could charm any reader with its sheer quality, its thick pages and incredibly beautiful illustrations.

A breathtaking book, and a gift which would be endlessly appreciated. --Rachel Ediss

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Customer Reviews

The edition you'll want for its illustrations.
I've forgotten many of the books I delighted in as a child, but this handsome hardback volume caught my eye, reminding me of that past world. Although I still have my original paperback, I just could'nt resist Inga Moore's illustrations - who could? There are plenty of them, printed on quality paper, conjuring up the safety and warmth of Mr Badger's underground kitchen, the tranquility of Toad Hall, sited in quiet elegance on the edge of a backwater or the eerie solitude of Mole's abandoned dwelling broken by shy, giggling field-mice in their red woolen scarves. Forget today's insipid creations and expensive merchandise, they will never be as enjoyable as contemplating two young hedgehogs eating porridge from wooden bowls or the embarassment of ferrets that don't wash their clothes regularly.
Oh, and children will love it, too!

An enchanting and evocative treat
The Wind in the Willows is one of the all-time classic books. It is an evocative, haunting, pleasurable and sentimental treat. The illustrations by Inga Moore are simply stunning and complement perfectly the text by Kenneth Grahame. Many fine and outstanding artists have illustrated the book such as Michael Hague, Michael Foreman, Ernest Shepherd, Patrick Benson and Justin Todd. However, none have surpassed these sensitively drawn pictures with their range of colourful hues.
This book ranks along such classics as Black Beauty, the Alice books, Treasure Island, The Hobbit, The Secret Garden and Watership Down as a book that will always be read, enjoyed and appreciated.
The characterisation is perfect. Mole is hesitant, timid and dependable, Ratty is resourceful and in tune with the river, Badger is gruff, brooding and firm, Otter is a family 'man'and links Badger and the Wild Wood with Ratty and the Riverbankers and, of course, Toad who is irascible, bombastic, tempestuous, and, above all, loyal.

A Thing of Beauty...
Firstly, if you wish to read to complete book as originally written by Kenneth Grahame, please note that the text has been abridged and therefore this edition is ideally suited to a younger readership who might find some of the original early prose slightly dated and off-putting. That having been said, this is a sensitively edited version and would make a super introduction to one of the finest books in the English language.
The real triumph is the quality of the ilustrations by Inga Moore. They are, quite simply, superb!
The original illustrator, EH Shepherd (also of Winnie the Pooh fame) portrayed the characters of this book so well that it would seem pointless to try to emulate his protrayal of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger. Inga Moore has a wonderful lightness of touch and empathy with the characters that is so wholly in keeping with the spirit of the tale and her contibution can only be described as magnificent. Her skill in capturing the feel of the text and the beauty of the illustrations has to be seen to be believed. Recommended without reservation.