Book SynopsisHo! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes! Tired of spring cleaning, Mole ventures above ground into the warm sunshine, and happens upon his friend Ratty. Together they picnic on the sparkling, burbling river, brave the sinister Wild Wood in wintertime to visit the bad-tempered Badger, and take to the open road in a caravan with dear, silly old Toad. But when Toad''s attention turns to motor cars, his reckless behaviour goes from bad to worse. Badger, Rat and Mole must save their friend from ruin, and Toad Hall from the clutches of the rascally Stoats and Weasels.BACKSTORY: Get outdoors and explore the natural world, and test your knowledge of The Wind in the Willows.Trade ReviewIt is a book that breaks nearly every rule of modern children's fiction...it wasn't about fairies at the bottom of the garden, but it was about magic - just the right kind of magic. It thrills me still to read it -- Shirley Hughes * The Times *"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.'' But reading about Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger runs it a close second. -- Michael MorpurgoPeople think of it as a children's book, but that's not all it is. What seared my imagination was its surrealism. The rat, the mole and badger could talk, but they could also change size: a badger could crawl down a rat hole, a toad could drive a car. At nine or 10 that fascinated me and that made a deep impression on my career -- Terry Pratchett * Independent on Sunday *A book about the love of friends and the joys of existence * Sunday Times *I loved Toad of Toad Hall and his merry antics, especially with his motor car - poop poop! -- Kenneth Branagh * Daily Express *
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