ehays84 's review for:

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

5.0

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I read this one slowly to Jackson at bedtime. It was still a bit early for him to really get it, but the illustrations kept him going. I researched which illustrated edition of this one to get for a while, and landed on this one. It is abridged, which I knew, and which suits reading it to younger children for now, but I have to say reading the abridged version was not as enjoyable as the full version I first read (or had read to me or both) when I was probably in 3rd grade. The illustrations of this are quite beautiful, and what is selected for the abridgment seems correct to me as well.

I read, probably in the Narnian by Alan Jacobs, that Lewis would re-read this book whenever he was sick. And I completely agree with him there. The pastoralism and the characters especially stand out. This book makes you want to walk down to your nearest river and just spend time there. And Mole, Ratty, Badger, and especially Toad all have become archetypes for children's literature in such a way that you really can't talk about any modern children's literature without understanding these characters. Growing up in a family that loved "messing about in boats" made the book all the more meaningful as well.

I'm sure I will read this one to both kids over and over, over the years.