Summer Reading, Year 2 - "The Wind in the Willows"

For my old favorite (see my full reading list here) I chose Kenneth Grahame's childhood classic "The Wind in the Willows."

Reading this childhood favorite once again I was struck by the beautiful language and highly descriptive writing style. We really dumb things down for kids nowadays, don't we? "Willows" was published in 1908, and I can't think of a single modern-day children's author that creates beautiful word pictures like this:

     “The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots,  
      when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when
      tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of
      the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.”

I mean...wow. What a way to say: Mole walked along the riverbank and listened to it gurgle. "A babbling procession of the best stories in the world." Pure poetry. 

The characters are simple, lovable and honest in Grahame's story. Mole is the wide-eyed wonderer with a heart of goal. Ratty is the experienced leader who is never, ever too busy to help someone in need. Badger is a gruff but lovable general. And Toad, dear Toad, is the air-headed adventurer who must learn to appreciate the wonderful friends surrounding him.

I grew up watching the claymation video version of The Wind in the Willows ( produced in 1983). It was one of my ultimate favorites, despite the scratchy TV-recorded quality of the tape. I just found it on Amazon - on DVD! - for only $8. So excited. Here's a clip of one of the songs. Even though the animation is dated, it is still a beautiful adaptation of the story, staying truer to the book and not deviated in wild, ridiculous ways the way some (*cough* Disney animated *cough*) movie versions did. Enjoy. :-)