If you are picking up this book, you most likely have read its companion, THE GOLDEN AGE. This book continues the exploits of the children introduced in the first volume. Veddy, veddy English. Completely delightful, though.

I am not sure today's children would enjoy this book. The 19th Century British-isms will probably be quite tedious to any but the most precocious of children. And nothing really "happens" so to speak. No adventures of overwhelming magnitude. Rather, the children's imagination governs what happens throughout the book. Small things are turned into events of great importance. Children brought up with video games will most likely be bored. But for an adult, ahhh! This is a find. It will make you yearn for the idyllic childhood you never had or anybody had for that matter.

Each chapter is like sunlight shining on a bead of dew in April. Or something similarily poetic. Grahame's the better writer anyway.

I'm sorry to see that Grahame's "Dream Days" is so unavailable. It's a deeply enjoyable book that demonstrates the power of "stories" to pull us out of the here and now and make us to stand up straighter, to imagine ourselves as knights and ladies. Grahame's book would be great for older children (young ones may find themselves fidgeting - there is a certain amount of description and archaic language). Adults may actually enjoy this one more than kids. Reading it brought back to me the days of my youth, when a good story could fire my imagination for days, and the characters lived right along side of me, as sort of doppelgangers. This story reminds me of E. Nesbit, another great Edwardian children's writer. Children should read these books, they are well-written and can help foster a love for the "right word" and the well-turned phrase. Try to find a copy with Parrish's illustrations. This whole book is just a wonderful aesthetic experience.

It's been a long time since I first read "Wind in the Willows," but rereading this version with my three-year-old has been a wonderful, rewarding experience. I'm not sure how much editing Inga Moore has done, but she has certainly retained the essence of the story while making it more easily accessible to the young reader (or, in our case, listener). And her illustrations are delightful; the images of Ratty, Mole, Otter, Mr. Toad and Badger with which my daughter will grow up are virtually perfect. Moreover, by dividing the story into two slimmer volumes she has made it easier for a parent to read it to a child. I can't say enough about this wonderful edition of "Wind in the Willows," but I encourage parents -- or grandparents or aunts or uncles or friends -- to buy it for the next generation of readers.

Kenneth Grahame's stories of the friendship of Mole and Rat are fascinating portraits of human character traits. When reading these stories to my children, I would ask them which character they most identified with, or of whom did each story character remind them. For instance, Mole is a gentle, kind, sentimental and curious soul, though a little self-conscious. When he ventures away from his home one day, he happens upon the river bank where he observes all of the happenings until he meets a river rat or Ratty as he calls him when they become friends. Ratty is very organized, punctual and accomplished at many practical tasks. He's conservative and predictable. Ratty and Moley become great friends, and Moley decides to stay on with Ratty by the river bank indefinitely, instead of going back home. The book contains several stories from the beginning of Ratty and Moley's friendship, until Moley misses his home and decides to try and find it again with the help of his friend. Along the way we meet Otter, Badger and the infamous Mr. Toad. I highly recommend this particular book because of the absolutely wonderful illustrations. The drawings of the inside of the dwellings are especially detailed, warm and inviting. Looking at them gave me a yearning to be there and stay for a long visit.

I read this book so many times. I loved it. I thimk you should read it too.

I read this book over ten years ago, when I was about nine, but the emotions I felt while reading it are still fresh in my mind. This is an excellent read, at any age. It's fun, sad, silly, and adventurous. I will never forget it.

It is our family's tradition to read Bertie's Escapade every Christmas Eve, before the children go to bed. This is done with much sharing of the marvelous illustrations. One of "Wind in the Willows" author Kenneth Grahame's creations, Bertie is a pig whose motto, "Deeds, not grunts" should offer inspiration to politicians everywhere. Scaling the palings of his sty, Bertie leads his companions, Benjy and Peter to sing Christmas carols in the dead of night before the stately mansion of wealthy neighbors. Unfortunately, no one can sing on key and the neighbors let loose the dogs. Escaping by a secret elevator located in Chalk Pit Hill, Bertie and his companions return to Mayfair (home of Mr Grahame). Bertie raids the larder and returns to his sty with bottles of champagne and lots of goodies. While the Escapade does not take place exactly on Christmas Eve, the setting is close enough. The writing is droll and Mr Grahame pokes fun at himself in the story. Children age 4 and older will enjoy the tale. Adults will experience a sense of nostalgia for a time past. It's an absolute shame that this book is out-of-print. Re-introduced to the world, it could sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

Kenneth Grahame's rich, elegant writing make "The Golden Age" a joy to read and reread. While it is a story of children in late Victorian England, it is not a childish book. Rather, it is an examination of how children view the world and are confounded by the actions of the adults around them. Grahame had a wonderful knack for presenting the child's point of view without being cutesy or condescending - no other author has as successfully done this. Nor does he present the typical Victorian view that children are all little angels and always innocent. All adults should read this book - it makes one stop and examine one's priorities and will encourage you recapture a zest for life and imagination.

"The Wind in the Willows" is an absolutely delightful animal tale. No one gets hurt (unless you want to count one small cut to the leg), and friends don't take advantage of one another. In these days of strife when we can all use some upcheer, this is a wonderful book to take one's mind off one's troubles.

Mole meet Rat when he is out and about instead of spring-cleaning and Rat is boating. Rat introduces Mole to many of his animal friends, including Badger (a burrowing kindred spirit of Mole's!) and the illustrious and infamous motor-car crashing Toad. Slightly mischievous and full of fun, the animals stick by one another through thick and thin, providing muscle as well as moral support.

Many of the chapters "stand on their own;" thus, "The Wind in the Willows" would make good bedtime reading to a chile, a chapter a night. Or like me, the reader may have reached his or her majority nearly twice over, and may just need a place to lighten his or her heart for a little while. Either way, this is a lovely book to have.

This fourth volume Panic At Toad Hall continues to adapt the famous child's classic into a color comic book form, with French artist Michel Plessix providing gorgeous drawings. Kids who have difficulty reading but who love comics will find this a most inviting method of discovering the appeal and adventure in Grahame's classic.

This childhood favorite is as fresh and charming as when it was first published. The animal protagonists--Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad--remind us of folks we know, which endears them to us
with their all-too-human dreams and foibles. For both Men and Creatures struggle to survive in the forest and streams of life. Exhausted from his strenuous spring cleaning, Mole sets out into the world Aboveground, where he discovers the joys and challenges of Riverbank Life with his new friend and host, the water rat. But beware the perils lurking in the adjacent Wild Wood!

Kenneth Grahame weaves a gentle tale with willow strands of friendship, dedication to ideals and sacrifice. Come ride the roads with Toady, and skull down the river with Ratty; savor the sentimental whisperings of Home with Mole. Then join the ranks of Badger's Avengers! This beloved classic combines humor and pathos with lively adventure in an animal realm which parallels human endeavor. This book is a true gem, to be rediscovered by successive generations and treasured by children of all ages!

Thank goodness this classic tale is still available for readers of all ages. The timeless nature of this tale endures. A satisfying tale and delightful ending for everyone.

Author of historical fiction.

This book is a treasure for your library. It brings endless pleasure, and is the kind of story that spans all ages.

It is the tale of a boy and his dragon who lives up on the Downs. In spite of the bad reputation dragons have, the boy and he become quick friends. Saint George shows up to do battle with the reluctant lizard, and the boy arranges a mock battle, unbeknown to the villagers that pleases everyone.

(...) THE BOOK IS ABOUT THIS BOY WHO MEETS THIS DRAGON AND THEY
BEACOME FRIENDS THE DRAGON TELLS THE BOY STORY AND NONE ARE
TRUE. BUT ONE IS TRUE THE DRAGONS FAUTHER DIED WHEN A KNIGHT
FOUND OUT ABOUT HIM WHEN THE DRAGON WAS LITTLE. THE KID
HEARS ABOUT A KNIGHT NAMED ST. GEORGE HE TELLS ST. GEORGE
ABOUT THE DRAGON. THE NEXT DAY THE KID SHOWS ST. GEORGE THE
THE DRAGON THE DRAGON DID NOT WHANT TO FIGHT. THE NEXT DAY
ST. GEORGE TOLD SOME OF THE DRAGONS TALES TO THE VILLAGE.
THE TALES WHERE ABOUT KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS FIGHTING. THAT
AFTER NOON THE DRAGON HID IN THE CAVE AND ST. GEORGE FAKED
TO KILL THE DRAGON AND WAS FAMOUS.

(...)

When I was very young (about six thousand years ago), our school master used to read to us from Wind in the Willows. The stories had a magical quality and a few weeks ago, as a somewhat older person, I got to wondering whether they would still have that sense of enchantment that held us so captivated all those years ago.

I was NOT disappointed. Toad was just as cantankerous and difficult as ever. Badger, Rat and Mole were just as supportive - just as memorable. Badger is unpredictable but protective (and sometimes mean). Mole is timid and shy. Rat is courageous and romantic. And who could ever forget those dreadful gun-toting weasels, ferrets and stoats glorying in their take-over of Toad Hall? Wind in the Willows is a true masterpiece of allegory with endless moral lessons disguised as a children's story. It is also a lesson in things long-forgotten... the glory of floating noiselessly down a river at dawn, past loosestrife, willowherb, bulrushes and meadowsweet. How many of us have even heard of these meadow plants, never mind seen them. But it doesn't matter, because it evokes nostalgia either for things long-forgotten or for things never-known.

At a child's level, Wind in the Willows is about friendship and about life in an imagined world centered around the river. At a less innocent level, Wind in the Willows draws many parallels with life, though Kenneth Grahame managed to avoid preaching his lessons. Not the least of Graham's parables is that 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' because Toad is as egotistical and as self-important as they come until being thrown in jail for 'borrowing' a car. After that, it's all downhill for Toad, and it is only thanks to the loyalty of his friends that he regains some of his position in society - though not before learning a little humility first.

Though, at an older age, we pretend to be more sophisticated, at heart we always hold out the hope of a return to innocence and simple adventures. We are still (most of us) perfectly capable of identifying with the animals and the idea, as one reviewer put it, of two school-aged hedgehogs frying ham for a mole and a water rat, in a badger's kitchen does my imagination no harm whatsoever! As for Grahame's choice of phrase (...the "remotest dungeon of the best-guarded keep of the stoutest castle in all the length and breadth of Merry England"...) it's almost as poetically attention-grabbing as Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder series.

If you're looking for laser guns and hi-tech wars, W-i-t-W is NOT the book to buy. If you're after something a little more gentle (and a little more intelligent) Wind in the Willows is an outstanding example of a Classic that continues to withstand the test of time.

Kenneth Grahame wrote this for his son and published this in book form in 1908. He has simply created a masterpiece, not just in children's literature, believe me many adults read this one with pleasure. The chapters follow the doings and adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and of course Toad. The prose is lyrical at times, the stories hilarious, and charm and wisdom flow from Grahame's pen. There has been many illustrators for different editions of this over the years. I like Rackham and Shepard and recommend the editions that have one or the others illustrations, or get two copies of "The Wind in the Willows" and you can have both of these fine illustrators work to enjoy. I read this book when a child and I come back to it again and again.

Somehow, I missed The Wind in the Willows when I was growing up. I knew the basic story from the movie and from an extremely abridged version, but I had never experienced Kenneth Grahame's actual novel. I didn't expect it to be very much different, but I was amazed by the reading experience of the actual novel. The world Grahame created is truly original and fascinating, and I don't think it can be captured in another medium besides the actual novel. I don't know if wonderful books like Watership Down and the Redwall series could exist without this. The characters are also so enjoyable. Rat, Mr Badger, Toad, and (my favorite) Mole are written with such warmth. They (with the contrast of Toad of course) exemplify old-time values. Grahame celebrates friendship, homelife, and the wonder of nature. My favorite section of the book is the chapter "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn." In it, Mole and Ratty find such beautiful in the sound of the wind blowing through the reeds on the side of the river. The effect of the section (written in such gorgeous prose) is almost metaphysical. The two friends see such joy in a life where you can experience such beauty in the world within such a strong friendship. The Wind in the Willows is truly a magnificent read which deserves to have lasted this long. Grahame's creation is still fresh and children and adults will surely continue to enjoy it for many years to come.