So 104 years ago, Scottish author Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows. Set on the riverbanks in an English countryside, it told a tale about a rat and a mole, a gruff but wise badger, and a kind but spoiled toad obsessed with motor cars. It has been loved by young and old, and has had many adaptations ( including a ride that ran from 1971-1998 at Walt Disney World, still available at Disneyland).
This year, author Jacqueline Kelly and illustrator Clint Young revisit the land of J. Thaddeus Toad and friends in Return to the Willows. Still set in the turn of the century , the story starts with Rat and Mole enjoying an afternoon boat outing and talking about Toad's latest obsession, hot-air balloons. Later on in the story,Rat falls in love with a female rat named Matilda, Toad plays with some fireworks that leads to turning into an egghead (and a job at an university), all leading daring rescue involving birthday cake and weasels and stoats ( short-haired weasels).
I loved this book. Kelly does a great job of introducing Grahame's characters,plus a few new ones, to a new generation. Along the way, she provides little footnotes that describe words not familiar to American readers and commentary to the story ( my favorite is on the first page, telling the reader if they have not read Wind in the Willows to put the book down and ask a librarian for the original tale or come along but do not complain if they are lost.) Young's illustrations are wondrous and rich as something you would see in an animated film. ( By the way, Young has a neat book coming soon called Toast, about a little pig. You can preview it on his blog ).
Return to Willows is worth a read, for young and old, for new and familiar fans of Toad and friends.
Return to the Willows by Jacqueline Kelly
Age Range: 9-12
Lexile: 890
***** ( 5 stars)
