Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
ISBN-13: 9781566197144
ISBN-10: 1566197147
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 364
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 6

3.3 stars, based on 6 ratings
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

40 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 155 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Cute story about a Mouse, a Mole, a Badger, and a Toad.

Abridged for audio.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 60 more book reviews
As a child, I loved the stories about Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad. There weren't many adventure/fantasy books then (am I giving away my age?) and these books are so well written, you begin to believe the characters are 'people' you know. Highly recommend!!
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 7 more book reviews
Children's book-kids enjoyed
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 625 more book reviews
The delightful escapades of the four famous friends -- Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad -- have enchanted children, and grownups too, for more than 50 years. Illustrated with color plates by Tasha Tudor.

Kenneth Grahame said he wrote not only for children but for adults ho remember what it is like to be chlidren.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 377 more book reviews
This is a literary edition for a scholar or student, containing an author biography and scholarly introduction. Does not have the original illustrations.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 209 more book reviews
A really nice edition. I liked the fact that it is unabridged. I like to read stories as the author intended tham to be read. Very nice illustrations too.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 77 more book reviews
This paperback is complete and unabridged. It also claims to be "Larger Type" for easier reading, but the type seems standard to me.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 193 more book reviews
Follow the delightful tales of Badger, Rat, Toad, Mole, and their charming riverbank neighbors in this classic story of friendship and loyalty by Kenneth Grahame. Originally told as bedtime stories to his young son, Grahame composed a gorgeous world of willows, reeds, and bubbling brooks inhabited by charming characters in an English countryside. Today, it's easy to share these stories with your children, while enjoying the adventures of their favorite animal friends. Listen as four heroes find friendship and honor in The Wind in the Willows (inside cover)
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on
This is "The Wild Wood" pop-up book. Cute for very young children
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on
This book is about 6 pages long. It is a pop up book with no plot. I was very dissatisfied, as I wanted the actual characters in a story. Too short to even keep my child's attention.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 18 more book reviews
Lovely story with fully developed characters. Quite funny in places, rather serious in others, I can understand why it has been such a popular story book for over 100 years.
mcpenguin5 avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 93 more book reviews
A Wonderful children's classic. Beautiful illustrations throughout.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on
found it to be too immature for my grand daughters 6 and 10. They weren't interested
lifelongbookworm avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 7 more book reviews
I had not read this classic as a child, so now I am trying to catch up. I really enjoyed reading about the relationships and adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Mr. Toad. Some of the stories reminded me of the Redwall series, although not quite as adventurous. There were a few altercations between "good" animals and "bad"; and, as in Redwall, the weasels are on the side of the "bad"; but, like the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, there were also humorous and homely situations, as well as stories of lasting friendships. I especially liked reading the descriptions of each animal's home and the trips along the river. Mr. Toad is not to be believed, with his shananigans and wild ideas! I truly recommend this book to adults and children, alike.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 72 more book reviews
in order to get a lot of important references... well you have to read about toad, rat, mole and badger... this is a classic... important characters and important life lessons
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 6 more book reviews
an exciting novel
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 26 more book reviews
This is a nice condensed version with nice pictures.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 56 more book reviews
classic childrens story
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 10 more book reviews
A superb classic!
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 6 more book reviews
This is the complete and unabridged Watermill Classic.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 8 more book reviews
A wonderful book for children and their parents to read together. I enjoyed it very much. Please note that there is writing from the owner before me on the inside of the cover:

I was here, but now I'm gone
I leave my words to pass on and on.
Liz Barker
3-11-96

Peace
Love
Harmony

This book itself is in great shape.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 6 more book reviews
A timeless classic...perfect for all ages!
abbykt avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 113 more book reviews
I had a great time reading this lighthearted book. I enjoyed the adventures that the animals found themselves in. I decided that I would like to be friends with rat. This was a fun read.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 122 more book reviews
f you ever feel like falling into a beautiful comic-book story--in the same way one falls back into a warm field of grass--reach for Michel Plessix's lush adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows. The artwork is an aquarelle, with thin, precise, detailed lines. It's no wonder he received numerous awards for his previous effort, Julien Boisvert, a contemporary take on the Tintin character type. In Wind in the Willows, Plessix breathes life into Mole, Rat, and Toad (of Toad Hall) as they picnic on the riverbank, indulge in Toad's latest fad, and get lost in Wild Wood. The pacing is masterful: each panel lingers just long enough to make you appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 7 more book reviews
a great children's classic
Ravenz avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 49 more book reviews
It's a true classic! No matter how old you are It will take you back to a time in your childhood when everything was possible..If you believed the animals could talk and lived a life of adventure then you will enjoy this book...Well worth reading..
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 16 more book reviews
This one is a bit battered, but has all the pages and is perfectly readable!
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 17 more book reviews
Finding the secret of the wind is hard enough without Mole wandering off into the Wild Wood and getting caught in a snowstorm or Toad stealing motorcars and landing in jail. Between practical Water Rat and wise old Badger, the four of them manage, after many great adventures and much laughter, to settle down to a quiet roar with an understanding of the wind's song and the Wild wood.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 37 more book reviews
One of my favorite books of all time! A great classic that everyone should read!
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 10 more book reviews
Children's classic
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on
a classic
1972booklover avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 7 more book reviews
This is a classic children's book, but I'm glad I read it before giving it to my young girls to read. I was shocked to discover a swear word in the very first chapter!! Therefore, I would not recommend this book at all.
mccoffield avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 76 more book reviews
Six Audio Cassettes.

From the back cover:

The Wind In The Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, is a series of tales about the adventures of young Mr. Mole, as he ventures from his home below ground for the first time, to the sights and sounds of the ground above.

Journey with Mole, as he ceomes upon his first river and meets his first Water Rat, who takes Mole on a trip down the river on a raft. Venture into the Wild Wood with Mole and visit Mr. Badger's home in the ground. Travel with the pompous Toad, whose passions for mororcars gets him into lots of trouble! Finally, join Badger, Ratty, Mole and Toad as they make battle plans to recapture Toad Hall from the weasels, ferrets and skunks that have taken over Toad's home.

Underscored with sound effects and original music, these stories will delight the imagination of children of all ages!
GrkMum avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 32 more book reviews
a classic for all ages
sophiesperspective avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 141 more book reviews
My favorite edition

Charming story following the adventures of four friends: Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger. Each chapter can stand alone; indeed, often the chapters are broken apart from the while and sold individually to children! This is unfortunate because the chapters do follow sequentially and tell a larger story.

This edition of Wind in the Willows is my favorite. I passed it by, due to price, years ago & regretted my decision. Every other copy I found I compared to this one! Sure, the story is the same, but Tasha Tudor did a phenomenal job on the full color illustrations featured throughout the book. Truly they are works of art. I happily picked up this edition when I came across it again.

The story deserves 4 stars, the illustrations 5 for an average of 4.5 stars.

This is part of the Junior Deluxe Edition Library.

The dust jacket is gorgeous, but the hardcover book looks nice too and is color embossed with the title & four friends on front & back. The spine also features similarly.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 10 more book reviews
Thi Signet edition is unabridged and has black and white illustrations by Alex Taso throughout.
GrkMum avatar reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 32 more book reviews
Truly a classic. The prose is poetic and effusively descriptive but my ten year old son enjoyed the story. Although he had to stop several times when reading to ask what a word meant due to it being written by a British author more than 50 years ago that made it an educational experience as well.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on
Note: this book was used for a college class and has notes written in pen in the margins.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 30 more book reviews
Okay, I read this because it's a classic. It's a child's tale that will teach your children that stealing, breaking out of jail, stealing again, and tricking people are just fine. There are no female characters, or any notice that females are a real part of life. Three characters are good, good, always good, and have all they want in life, although they never work or hunt. The rich guy has all kinds of privilege, inherited, and at the end, is made to apologize for his bad behavior, but is not punished. Ridiculous that this is still considered acceptable reading.
reviewed The Wind in the Willows on + 552 more book reviews
Age Range: 9 to 12
Annotation
This edition, illustrated by Michael Foreman, adds some noteworthy extras: the UNABRIDGED TEXT includes two chapters that don't appear in some modern versions: "The Pipers at the Gates of Dawn" and "Wayfarers All". The book closes with reproductions of two of Grahame's actual letters to his son Alistair ("My darling Mouse") in 1907, written on ornate, old-timey stationery from two Cornwall hotels and recounting one of Toad's first adventures.

From the Publisher
Kenneth Grahame's exuberant yet whimsical The Wind in the Willows belongs to the golden age of children's classic novels. These charming, exciting and humorous tales of the riverbank and its life featuring the wonderfully imagined Ratty, Mole, Badger and the irrepressible but conceited Toad of Toad Hall whose passion for motor cars ("The only way to travel! Here today in next week tomorrow") lands him in many scrapes still continue exert their charm over adults as well as children.

Synopsis
One of American Literature's most loved novels, this is a story of family, of hope, of dreams, and of growing up as four devoted sisters search fro romance and find maturity in Civil-War era 19th century New England.