Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Genre: Classic Children’s Literature
Pages: 104
Rating: 4 of 5

In spite of reading a lot of fantasy and anthropomorphized animal books as a child, I somehow never read the classic The Wind in the Willows, other than a few excerpts in grade school (and in theology books: the chapter “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” receives quite a bit of attention from the likes of C. S. Lewis). I needed a book for the Children’s Classic category over at the 2018 Back to the Classics Challenge and decided it was high time to remedy the situation.

The primary descriptive word for this book would have to be charming. It is a paean to camaraderie, life on the Thames, and the comforts of home. The helpful Mole,  friendly rat, gruff badger, and outrageous (but likeable) Mr. Toad will pleasantly remind you of people you know. Many of the chapters are only loosely connected, varying from leisurely nostalgia to comedic action. Overall, it’s a nice cozy read that I will be recommending to my children.