6 h 45 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesAbout this book
Beyond a small underground home, a river waits—and with it, friendship, freedom, and trouble on four wheels.
Mole has had enough of spring cleaning. He leaves his burrow for the sunlight and meets Rat, a generous river dweller who loves boats and poetry. In Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, a quiet English river opens into a world of picnics, boat trips, and warm companionship. For shy Mole, every bend brings something new to discover.
Then there is Toad: rich, boastful, and swept away by every new craze, especially motorcars. His reckless impulses trouble the calm of river life, while gruff Badger offers wisdom and firm help. From spring sunshine to winter snow, these friends face mischief, a frightening wood, and the pull of home. Beneath the humour lies a gentle question: what makes a good life?
What you’ll discover
- Friendship along the river Watch Mole find courage through Rat’s generosity and the steady warmth of companionship.
- Toad in full flight Laugh at boastful Toad’s motorcar obsession and the trouble his sudden enthusiasms bring.
- A countryside of seasons Wander from sunlit riverbanks to winter snow through landscapes described with loving care.
- Shelter beyond the woods Meet solitary Badger, whose gruff manner comes with wisdom and help for his friends.
- The comfort of belonging Explore the pull between adventure and the places and people that feel like home.
Who will love it
For readers who love gentle humour, vivid landscapes and warm friendships, and anyone who enjoys reading aloud to a child. Animal adventures, river life and the comforts of home fill its world.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Mole leaves his house for the sunlight
- Rat teaches Mole to love the river
- Toad's crazes lead everyone down the road
- The Wild Wood is not a safe place
- Badger's door opens to the lost
- Home calls Mole even from far away
- Toad's mania for cars lands him in trouble
- Wonder and restlessness stir along the river
- How Grahame tells it, and what lasts
Who’s who
- MoleA shy, kind animal who leaves his underground home for the first time and slowly finds courage, friends and a new place.
- RatThe calm, generous Water Rat who loves boats and poetry, and who guides Mole into river life.
- ToadThe rich, vain owner of Toad Hall, who throws himself into every new craze, especially motor cars.
- BadgerA gruff, wise, solitary animal who lives in the Wild Wood and takes charge when his friends need firm help.
- OtterA cheerful river neighbour and friend of Rat, who is devoted to his young son, Portly.
- The Sea RatA travelling sailor who visits the river with tales of southern ports and stirs great restlessness in Rat.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 45 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: USD 8.95 when you start free, USD 14.95 on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: USD 15.95 when you start free, USD 21.95 on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Read and hear The Wind in the Willows in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame · 1908
Mole leaves his underground home for an English river, where new friends bring adventure, wonder and courage.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
Mole leaves his house for the sunlight
The story opens on a spring morning. Mole has been spring cleaning his small underground home all morning. He is hot, tired and covered in whitewash, and he suddenly hates the work. He throws down his brush, says something sharp about the whole business, and scrambles up a tunnel toward the air above.
When he bursts out into a meadow, the world strikes him as new. He has lived underground for so long that he has never really seen it. The warm sun, the smell of earth and the green of the grass fill him with joy. He runs across the field, jumps over hedges and feels like a creature let out of a cage.
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What is The Wind in the Willows about?
It follows four animal friends, Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad, through a year along an English river. It covers boating, picnics, a dangerous wood, Toad's reckless adventures and the comfort of home.
Who are the main characters in The Wind in the Willows?
The main characters are Mole, a shy newcomer, Rat, a kindly river dweller, Badger, a wise and grumpy recluse, and Toad, a rich and boastful friend. Otter and the Sea Rat also appear.
Is The Wind in the Willows a children's book?
It was written for a child and is often read to children, but adults enjoy it too. Its language is rich and its themes of home, friendship and change appeal to readers of every age.
The author
Kenneth Grahame
1859–1932 · Scottish children's novelist
Kenneth Grahame was a British writer born in Edinburgh in 1859. He grew up partly in Berkshire and later worked at the Bank of England in London. He wrote The Golden Age (1895), Dream Days (1898), and The Wind in the Willows (1908). He died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, in 1932.
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