Common Sense Note
These beautifully written, richly inventive adventures are best for children with patience. Benson's art adds nothing over Shepherd's original drawings.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Tara L. Rivera
"By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories." That man is Kenneth Grahame, who wrote this as a series of bedtime stories for his son in 1908, and the spell they cast hasn't been diminished by the passage of time.
Grahame introduces readers to a society filled with animal etiquette. Livelihoods vary depending on location: river bankers, wood dwellers, and those who live underground. The underground Badger appears to be society hating, but does follow protocol; it bothers him most that vain and trendy Toad (the most entertaining character) does just what he wants. Toad gets bored with boating and finds a new hobby: motor cars. His great motor car passion results in a prison break and a somewhat reformed Toad sees the error of his ways through the help of his pals. Friendship drives this social structure, and this story.
Patrick Benson's cross-hatched drawings are so similar to Ernest H. Shepard's original ink drawings that they seem redundant. Parents who remember the version with Shepard's illustrations will not find these jarring, but may prefer to share with their children the edition they remember.
From The Book
Toad sat straight down in the middle of the dusty road, his legs stretched out before him, and stared fixedly in the direction of the disappearing motor-car. He breathed short, his face wore a placid satisfied expression, and at intervals he faintly murmured "Poop-poop!"
Plot Summary:
Wealthy, spoiled Toad has a way of getting his friends in trouble, especially when he gets a motor car, but he can always count on Mole, Water Rat, and Badger to get him out again. A timeless classic for generations, though rather difficult for many of today's children. Benson's illustrations are adequate, but add nothing new.
Related Books:
Purists will be horrified to hear that recently William Horwood wrote a sequel, Willows in Winter, which Benson also illustrated. Other childhood classics which feature the theme of friendship include Charlotte's Web and Winnie the Pooh.
Rate It!
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ViolenceA fight scene against the ferrets and weasels. A ferret shoots at Toad, Rat puts pistols in his belt, Otter cuffs a rabbit. |
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LanguageOccasional use of an affectionate British insult which some Americans find offensive. |
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Social BehaviorImpetuous Toad steals a motor car and a horse. |
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