Staff Picks

Welcome to our monthly book review! This time, Yi Shun goes all ooey-gooey nostalgic and reviews Kenneth Grahame's classic, The Wind in the Willows.

To be perfectly honest, I hadn't read this book in years when it came into the bookstore. Once I cracked the cover, though, an instantaneous flood of memories came back to me, and I was shocked that I'd left my copy behind when I moved to Chicago.

The Wind in the Willows is one of those brilliant books that, if read early enough, can form a child's sense of right and wrong. The magic is in the characters, and in this particular book, Kenneth Grahame, who had never previously written a book, manages to create characters so well defined and so real that they come to embody certain character traits. Mole is ever the worrier; his friend the Water Rat a true friend; Badger is the gruff old grandfather of the group, and Toad, the irresponsible brat who eventually learns his lesson.

Nothing really horrible befalls these characters, and although some writers would argue that this might make for a boring book, I'd argue that it's just right for readers who are just beginning to explore personalities (their own and everyone else's).

The plot moves along smoothly, with no real twists or turns, and nothing is truly scary. The illustrations, originally done by one E.H. Shepherd, are utterly charming. The Wind in the Willows, now celebrating its 100-year anniversary, reads just like a father making up stories for his son. Not surprisingly, that's exactly what it is: Grahame originally crafted these characters and their stories as letters to his son, who was away on a seaside holiday.

This is a fine read for anyone from 8 on up. I won't even hazard a stab at an upper-age limit--clearly, this 33-year-old kid is still smitten with it.

The Wind in the Willows is available at Chicago Kids Bookstore and More for $16.95. Find out more about Kenneth Grahame at www.debbiesidea.com.