Tuesday, September 8, 2015

97:120 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

An enchanting world of fantasy where we enter into the life of Mole just as he decides to leave his normal abode in the ground for something new and different.  This leads him to the River where he meets the Water Rat who invites him to stay and thus a beautiful friendship is born and our journey starts.  Rat shows Mole all the joys and wonders of living on the River and introduces him to his friends including Badger and of course, Toad.  Toad who is not a bad sort but is incorrigible and reckless but has a heart of gold even if he holds himself in the highest regard.  Some of the adventures in the book are just Mole and Rat but when Toad enters the picture, that's when things really go off the rails.

My only previous experience with these tales were watching the Disney movie based on them, so seriously lacking.  I shared this with my 9yr old for our reading time and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  The language is exquisite in its rich detail and imagery while still being easy for a younger person to enjoy and figure out what the bigger words mean although mine was seriously upset at Rat calling Toad an "ass".  "What is that in a children's book!?" he cried.  This led to a discussion about appropriate language and how that can change through time.  In all, a beautiful book and I'm even more glad that I got to read it aloud and share it with my son.

Page count: 197p/25,629p ytd/240,561p lifetime

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