The wind in the willows by Kenneth Grahame

Ill. by Robert Ingpen. Walker, 2017. ISBN 9781760650247
Bored with his annual spring cleaning, Mole leaves his underground home to explore his surroundings and discovers a small community of other creatures living on the riverbank of a gentle English river. His first new friend is Rat, and after a long lazy afternoon boating down the river, Rat invites Mole to live with him. And then the adventures begin as he meets Toad of Toad Hall and Badger.
This children's classic first published in 1908 has remained in print in many guises for 110 years as well as being converted to other media including stage, film and television. Now, an abridged version beautifully illustrated by Robert Ingpen is available for another generation to enjoy the adventures of these four friends in Edwardian England.
Whether read aloud as a bedtime story, a perfect vehicle for introducing young listeners to the concept of 'chapter books' where the same characters feature in a complete story in each chapter, or as a foray into longer books by the newly independent reader, timid Mole, friendly Water Rat, imperious Badger and mischievous Toad will find a new set of fans as yet another generation follows their fun and frolics.
Ingpen himself has an impressive body of work including a range of children's classics, his work was launched with the release of Colin Thiele's Storm boy in 1974, and as the only Australian illustrator to have won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, his portfolio would make an excellent introduction for studying illustration in children's picture books.
"I just want to make pictures that help get messages across and tell stories and, if children are involved, I want to be able to have them maintain their natural imagination for as long as possible."
An exquisite addition to a personal or a library's collection.
Barbara Braxton