Brossura

ISBN 10: 0451517334 ISBN 13: 9780451517333

Casa editrice: Signet Classics, 1969

This classic of the English countryside, . first published in 1908, is a favourite with readers of all ages. As the late Margery Fisher wrote, 'Adults are sadly aware of the figure of Grahame himself, languishing in a city office and longing for the river: children respond to the fun, the anarchy of Toad and the entrancing detail as Grahame's son Alastair must have done when he listened to the bedside stories that became a book. ' The author invited Arthur Rackham to illustrate his book, but Rackham said he was too busy - a decision he was happily able to reconsider in 1936 when he was approached by the American publisher of the Limited Editions Club. The project, which he carried out with love and great care for the authenticity of detail, was his last: the drawings appeared first in the USA in 1939 and in Britian in 1950.

Review:

"[Mole] thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again." Such is the cautious, agreeable Mole's first introduction to the river and the Life Adventurous. Emerging from his home at Mole End one spring, his whole world changes when he hooks up with the good-natured, boat-loving Water Rat, the boastful Toad of Toad Hall, the society- hating Badger who lives in the frightening Wild Wood, and countless other mostly well-meaning creatures. Michael Hague's exquisitely detailed, breathtaking color illustrations on almost every generous spread--along with Kenneth Grahame's elegant, delightfully old-fashioned characterizations of the animals--make this book a wonderful read-aloud. Grahame's The Wind in the Willows has enchanted readers for four generations, and this lavishly illustrated gift edition is perhaps the finest around. (All ages, or 9 to 12)

This reviews refers to ISBN 0805002138.

From the Publisher:

A children's classic comes to life in an enchanting dramatization narratedby Alan Bennett. Enter the world of the great river and meet the marvelousriverbank animals: the poetic Rat, his friend Mole, and the boastful Toad, asthey voyage down the river and into the Wild Wood to great adventures! Thisexclusive BBC production features a full cast, authentic sound effects andsweeping music to warm hearts young and old.