The Wind in the Willows

August 1, 2002
Mary Jane Begin illustrates the classic story of Mole, Badger, Rat and Toad, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Each chapter opens with a vignette and includes a full-page painting of a dramatic moment in the proceedings.

July 1, 2003
Gr 3-7-The considerable talents of narrator Martin Jarvis and pleasant snippets of classical music almost redeem this abridged presentation of Kenneth Grahames whimsical classic. The story revolves around the misadventures of Mole who embarks on a haphazard river journey with the proud Rat who loves "messing about in boats." These mismatched pals encounter the wise, elusive Badger and the crude, greedy, accident prone Mr. Toad. Jarvis has a ball playing these unforgettable characters, portraying Mole with just the right amount of naivete, Rat with dashing confidence, Badger with effective gruffness, and Toad with jubilant wackiness. He does such a beautiful job capturing the story's humor and language that listeners will wish that this was an unabridged presentation. Although the scenes flow for the most part, the abridgement causes some awkward moments. For example, the narrator says that a character utters "Oh my oh my oh my" for a second time, but the character's first utterance of these words have been cut. Many sections that dramatize the developing tensions between the characters have been snipped, and certain sentences seem to have been cut for no good reason. This of course goes against what Kenneth Grahame envisioned when he wrote this strange, poetic allegory. For libraries interested in purchasing abridged audiobooks, this version of The Wind in the Willows benefits from a talented narrator. However, others may wish to consider Recorded Books' more definitive unabridged presentation, read by the wonderful Flo Gibson.-Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL

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