The Wind in the Willows

Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932)

This much-loved story follows a group of animal friends in the English countryside as they pursue adventure … and as adventure pursues them! The chief characters - Mole, Rat, and Toad - generally lead upbeat and happy lives, but their tales are leavened with moments of terror, homesickness, awe, madcap antics, and derring-do.

Although classed as children’s literature, The Wind in the Willows holds a gentle fascination for adults too. The vocabulary is decidedly not “Dick and Jane”, and a reader with a love of words will find new ones to treasure, even if well-equipped for the journey. Parents will appreciate the themes of loyalty, manners, self-restraint, and comradeship which are evident throughout the book. When the characters err, they are prompt to acknowledge it, and so a reading of this book can model good behavior to children, who will otherwise be enchanted with the many ways in which the lives of these bucolic characters differ from modern life.

This book was so successful that it enabled the author to retire from banking and take up a country life somewhat like that of his creations. It has been adapted for screen, stage, and even a ride at the original Disneyland.
(Summary by Mark F. Smith)

Genre(s): Animals & Nature

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 The River Bank Peter Yearsley
00:27:12
Play 02 The Open Road Meredith Hughes
00:29:04
Play 03 The Wild Wood Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
00:32:00
Play 04 Mr. Badger Betsie Bush
00:30:12
Play 05 Dulce Dolmum Peter Yearsley
00:35:54
Play 06 Mr. Toad Vinny Bove
00:27:52
Play 07 The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Chip
00:27:50
Play 08 Toad's Adventures Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
00:41:03
Play 09 Wayfarers All Peter Eastman
00:41:03
Play 10 The Further Adventures of Toad Kymm Zuckert
00:33:41
Play 11 'Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears' Kirsten Ferreri
00:28:59
Play 12 The Return of Ulysses Catharine Eastman
00:34:53