[Tales of the Willows 03] • The Willows and Beyond

William Horwood is the author of the acclaimed Duncton trilogies. Patrick Benson studied at the Chelsea Art School and St. Martin's School of Art. Both live in England.

Amazon.com ReviewWilliam Horwood, author of two other bestselling "sequels" to Kenneth Grahame's beloved classic, The Wind in the Willows (The Willows in Winter and Toad Triumphant), picks up where Grahame left off, with nary a misstep. The flavor and tone of his thrilling story, along with Patrick Benson's marvelous crosshatched illustrations, have done the impossible: brought Grahame's characters back to life. Like a river, time moves inexorably forward. Ratty, Mole, Otter, Toad, and Badger are growing older. They are content to live out their lives on the River Bank in peaceful reflection--until, that is, one of those mysterious eddies of life picks them up and spins them around. It all starts when Rat, while "communing" with the River, senses that something is terribly wrong. Soon after, a mysterious summons to collect an item from the post office arrives. From there, the adventures gather speed. Whether fighting off the horrible Beast of the Iron Bridge, rescuing Rat from a near-fatal bout with indigestion, or trying to save the Wild Wood from impending, polluting Progress, the friends have no time to slip quietly into old age. Even so, each animal must begin to prepare for the next generation. (All ages, 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Review"With its humor, tenderness, suspense, and happy ending...[Toad Triumphant is] a pleasant story and a good read." --The Christian Science Monitor

"The old characters pop back to life as you begin reading." --The New York Times

"Faithful to the original...Festive...A winsome winner." --Chicago Tribune

"The Willows in Winter transports us back to the familiar rivery world almost as authoritatively-and entertainingly-as a sequel by Grahame himself." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Patrick Benson's crosshatched illustrations seem to have been lovingly guided by the hand of Ernest Shepard, whose 1931 drawings of The Wind in the Willows continue to transport young readers to meadow, riverbank, and wild wood." --The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)