Return to the Willows

by Jacqueline Kelly, Clint Young (Illustrations)

Mole, Ratty, Toad, and Badger are back for more rollicking adventures in this sequel to The Wind in the Willows .

With lavish illustrations by Clint Young, Jacqueline Kelly masterfully evokes the magic of Kenneth Grahame's beloved children's classic and brings it to life for a whole new generation.

A riveting tale of bravery, bravado, and hot-air ballooning!

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2012

About the author

Jacqueline Kelly was born in New Zealand and moved with her parents to western Canada at an early age. She grew up in the dense rain forests of Vancouver Island, so you can imagine her shock some years later when her family moved to the desert of El Paso, Texas. She attended university in El Paso and medical school in Galveston (lovingly known as “Galvatraz” among the inmates). She practiced medicine for many years and then attended the University of Texas School of Law. She practiced law for several more years before realizing that what would really make her happy is to write fiction. Her first published short story appeared in 2001 in the Mississippi Review (one of her proudest accomplishments). Her debut novel, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, was released by Henry Holt on May 12, 2009 (another one of her proudest accomplishments).

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jacque...

Reviews

[Angus · Rating 5 out of 5]

How preposterous! The cheek, to write a sequel to the beloved Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. Jacqueline Kelley has some audacity, but I have to commend her, for it is not misplaced. Jacqueline Kelly has done an amazing job recreating the world of Ratty, Mole, Badger, the Weasels, and Toad. plus a couple of great new characters, including a love interest for Ratty. She has tapped into Graham's style and vocabulary giving each character distinct voices, just as one finds in the original. And the drama and antics continue to add depth and excitement to the world alond the riverbank.
Spot on Ms, Kelly. This tome will make a great gift for family storytime and is truly entertaining. I read this book aloud to my six year old and eleven year old sons and cannot recommend it enough. Both boys both thoroughly enjoyed it; I'm pretty sure they each got something different out of it. Give it a try.

[JohnnyBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong 8 out of 10

Return to the Willows is a book by Jacqueline Kelly, (who wrote the Calpurnia Tate series) and it is about the characters, Mole, Ratty, Toad, and Badger. Together these characters go on a big, humorous, and wacky adventure.



This story starts with Toad flying in his hot air balloon. He invites some other characters to go in the hot air balloon, and then while flying in the air, they get shot at. The hot air balloon then gets stuck in the air and the characters are forced to climb down to the ground with a rope.

Then, there are some shenanigans with Toad and some fireworks.



I loved this book. The illustrations are incredible and detailed beyond belief. There is a lot of humor in the writing. I loved the crazy adventures and the amazing character writing.

I'm pretty sure this book is an allude to The Wind in the Willows. This book definitely brings justice to that book, because this book is very enjoyable. The hardcover is a bit big, but overall I really enjoyed reading this book and looking at all the illustrations. I haven't read, "The Wind in the Willows" but this book makes me want to read that book. I'd definitely recommend it, a great middle-grade book.

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Mole and Water Rat drifted along the River in a tiny blue-and-white rowboat. The current gurgled and chuckled, delighted with its comrades for the day. The sun smiled down upon our heroes and gladdened their hearts; the lightest of zephyrs ruffled their fur. There was not a hawk in the sky, and even the dark fringe of the Wild Wood glowering in the distance could not cast a pall upon the shining hour."

This first paragraph sets the stage for a wonderful and, dare I say, epic tale that awaits our wonderful friends Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger. If you are a lover of our friends’ original exploits in "The Wind in the Willows", then rest assured this tale contains just as much mayhem, mishaps, and mischief to keep your heart quite full and content. Although we have to once again contend with those dreaded weasels and stoats, we are treated to several new friends including a nephew, a best friend, and a wonderfully clever and brave love interest for one of our deserving heroes. As Rat well knows, the current is a fickle friend and you never know where you might be led, but with our loyal four friends by our side, we know that we are in for quite a wild ride.

When I first spotted this book on the library shelf, I must admit that my first reaction was, “How DARE she! I mean the GALL!” Honestly, you simply don’t go fussing with Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale all willy-nilly and higgledy-piggledy. Well, do you? But after reading the opening, I knew our friends were in very safe and capable hands. Kelly stays remarkably faithful to Grahame’s writing style, use of words and phrases, and our beloved characters and their stories. The added footnotes and chapter introductions were clever and amusing and will help young readers understand the many English references found throughout the story. For example, Footnote #60 reads, “In England, the wedding reception is called the wedding breakfast, even if it’s held in the afternoon. Yes, I know that’s odd.”

"Return to the Willows" can be read as a standalone, but it’s best read after the first has been properly savored and enjoyed. There are many references to the original that Kelly tries to provide as much background as possible for newcomers, but having a familiarity with our heroes and their past exploits will provide a wholly more satisfying adventure. Forgive me, Ms. Kelly, for doubting you and please accept my humblest apologies and sincere gratitude for breathing new life into Rat, Toad, Mole, and Badger. You have treated them with the care, dignity, and grace they all deserve. Now off we go for the River awaits!

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so skeptical of any messing around with books (messing around with boats being totally fine), but have to say this one works. Kelly clearly knows and loves the original and manages, as few have before her, to pay homage while creating something new at the same time.

She perfectly captures the nature of the three original heroes: Ratty, Mole, and Toad and even manages to bring out gruff old Badger a bit. And then she successfully adds in two new characters: Toad's nephew Humphrey and a female baker rat, Matilda. Both work within the well-recreated world of Grahame's as well as open it up for today's young readers. I think, in fact, their additions are very sly and smart. Humphrey offers someone for young readers to latch on to as they might not our original three heroes. And Matilda --- I admit I was very skeptical and a bit hostile to her at first as the original book feels so much about a bunch of school boys, but I was won over completely. She makes such good sense within that world, is lightly introduced, and then plays an important part near the end. Very nicely done indeed.

Delightful maintaining of the world of comfort, pleasant days, and slight adventure. It has been a while since I read the original, but it felt like Kelly was somewhat channelling its structure. There are smaller events to start, then a removal for Toad and another trip back (even involving a revisit to his former place of trial), a hearty battle yet again with those weasels and stoats, and finally a satisfyingly hearty ending.

I think the reason it works so well is that Kelly has done a very fine job with the language, somehow lightly maintaining Grahame's style in a way that will be accessible for readers today. (One way is through her footnotes --- I do wonder though if kids will bother to read them. Though I guess they did with Snicket and those are just the sort of readers who will gravitate to this book.)

Ultimately it is Kelly's clear love and appreciation of the original that makes this shine. Lovely little touches such as the Chief Weasel and Under-Stoat seeing that Toad's nephew Humphrey gets a lavish picnic lunch even as they are about to kidnap him (and seeing he continues to be well-fed throughout his ordeal). Toad's stint at Cambridge, his unfortunate taste for vehicles of every sort, and so forth.

Three cheers for Ms. Kelly for doing so well by Ratty, Mole, Toad, Badger, and the whole world of them.

Totally charming.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a confession. I've never read The Wind in the Willows. It's not because I've never wanted to or picked it up and put it down again. It's just . . . simply never been in my book pile when I've had time to pick it up and I sort of always knew it was going to be around for me to read in years to come. I don't have any problem with anthropomorphic animals, after all I'm a huge fan of the Redwall series. But for whatever compilation of reasons, I've never picked up the original classic. That's not to say I don't know some of the story. Specific characters have caught on in popular culture. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was (and might still be, though I'm not sure) an amusement park ride at Disney World. I've come across the "messing around in boats" quote probably a hundred times or so.

Like the some other very popular stories that have woven threads of influence into culture, I know of the Wind in the Willows without having read the actual book.

Thus I approached this "return" with some reserve. Was it going to appeal to me, given that I hadn't read the original? Would I be lost in the narrative with references to events and characters that happened in a book written 100 years before this one. My reservations cleared up on the first chapter page. In the chapter not below the title the author pens "In which those of us who are familiar with the Rat and Mole hail them again as old friends. And for those of you who aren't, well, you should put this book down right away and ask your librarian for the first book so you won't be entirely clueless. (Oh, all right. You can come along if you promise to keep up, but no moaning about being lost.)" I fell in love from that moment on.

It's a charming new tale of characters as wild and funny and amusing as ever they were. It's a tale of adventure, humor, Mr. Toad's new obsessions and old enemies. Perhaps even more delightfully, the story has hundreds of footnotes from the author to explain terminology and comment on things in the text, especially explaining British references to an American audience in a way that just adds to the fun. I only have an ARC of the work, so I don't have the final, fully colorized illustrations, but I can't wait to see them! The black and white sketches included are already fabulous.

The key thing is, I got to the end of this book, looked up at my husband and said. "I'm going to have to read The Wind in the Willows now". I think that means this book was a success. Although I would love to see Jacqueline Kelly do a version of Americanized footnotes to accompany the original work. (has anyone ever done this?)

I think this is a remarkable success that, as far as I can see, is in keeping with the tone and feel of the original while not simply being a retread nor something that comes across as mimicry. There's an intelligence to the writing that makes me believe very firmly that Jacqueline Kelly loves the Wind in the Willows, and probably has at least one much read dog-eared copy somewhere in her possession.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp with the Wind in the Willows bunch. Kelly captures the original characters' voices and personalities so well that Kenneth Graham might have been whispering in her ear as she wrote. Footnotes throughout the book provide clever commentary. I laughed out loud -- books that bring laughter are a gift.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return to the Willows is an adorable continuance of the original Wind in the Willows, and Jacqueline Kelly has done a fabulous job bringing the characters of the original classic to life again. Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger are back, and new adventures abound in this adorable tale with wit, voice, and beautiful illustrations by Clint Young. Though this is a chapter book, it is packed with a number of little adventures and amusing footnotes, making it an appealing story for young readers, and an entertaining read for more discerning adolescents.

Return to the Willows begins with typical Mole and Rat fun - calm poetry written in a boat, and lazy summer afternoons. Quickly, however, Toad (in typical fashion) finds himself wrapped up in one situation after another - ranging from hot air balloon accidents to a chemical explosion, and from a Cambridge professorship to a narrow escape from the law. His nephew, Humphrey, who came to stay with Toad, also finds himself in trouble after attempting to retrieve Toad's abandoned hot air balloon from the deep and dangerous forest. With a love interest for Rat, delightful wisdom from Badger, and a new generation of characters,Return to the Willows is a book that is endearing and timeless. From shelfishness.blog.com

[Karon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book a few days ago from McMillan Kids and immediately started reading and could not put it down. I am a huge fan of The Wind in the Willows and still have my old hardcover copy from the ancient times. This "sequel" for lack of a better word is such a sweet book and it remains true to the spirit of The Wind in the Willows. All the wonderful characters are back along with some new ones. The narrator is funny and a bit sarcastic. I loved the wit and the intertwining of the old adventures of Rat, Mole, Badger and Toad with their new ones. Although it is a sequel and references the original this book stands on its own. This book is definitely a keeper for me, if it were a person we would be "bosom friends" a la Ann of Green Gables.

[Julie Salinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, did you read Wind in the Willows? It was one of my favorite books growing up. I loved the animals and the grown up mannerisms and lighthearted adventures of these creatures. It helped that I had Willows outside my window. This book is a keeper, like on your special book shelf keeper. No way is this book going to be loaned, selfish me. Jacqueline Kelly has managed to capture the mood and feel of the original book, but what makes this book so special is the wonderful artwork, the special colored lettering at the beginning of the chapter, the little notations at the bottom of the page. Yes, this is a keeper. I did win this book on Goodreads, but I would have picked it up in the bookstore and never let it go. Hug.

[Tory Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacqueline Kelly's Return to the Willows is a truly delightful read. I instantly traveled back to my childhood and the joy of reading on a sunny afternoon. All my favorite characters from The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) including Mole, Ratty, Badger and, of course, Frog return for a new adventure. Kelly's style is reminiscent of Grahame's and I felt like I was meeting up with childhood friends. She also includes numerous footnotes that help new reader's with British slang. The illustrator, Clint Young, does an amazing job of creating pictures that enhance the reading experience. I highly recommend this to readers young and old!

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard not to love any revisit with these characters, even if some scenes were almost retellings of old situations. Lovely illustrations, and since you can't be the original here, I applaud Kelly's deciding to add a nod and a wink with her own voice in a footnote commentary style. Beautiful illustrations, wish there had been more.

[Nathan Meier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good! I like that that chapters are shorter. The footnotes are helpful and often funny. For better or worse there’s less archaic language. The story is done well and so are the illustrations. A great pairing for the original work.

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently read The Wind in the Willows for the first time, and being absolutely taken with the characters, I decided to start a mini-project. I've chosen to read three different books, written by different authors, that serve as sequels to the original book, and review each of them in turn. The first one I read was Return to the Willows by Jacqueline Kelly.

In this book, Toad's obsession with motorcars has been supplanted by hot air ballooning. When his nephew Humphrey, who enjoys tinkering around with explosives, comes to stay with him, Toad ends up becoming a bit too fascinated with his nephew's work, and ends up blowing himself up- which leads to an unexpectedly beneficial result. Humphrey befriends a "small, bedraggled weasel" and, over the course of their explorations, ends up a prisoner of the weasels, forced to repair Toad's fallen balloon (which the weasels have taken hold of). Meanwhile, Rat has fallen in love with a baker, Matilda, and Mole feels uneasy about this.

While I greatly enjoyed the beautiful, romantic language of The Wind in the Willows as an adult, and felt that children might not be able to appreciate it as much (despite the book being written for children), Return to the Willows was written in a simpler fashion, clearly oriented towards children of our modern generation. Therefore, some parts of it were a bit too silly/whimsical for me- particularly the entire subplot of Toad becoming a genius, which is kicked off by him receiving a blow to the head (a conceit I've seen used in several cartoons), and mostly consists of him solving the world's greatest questions, such as "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" I'm sure this would amuse kids, but it was a bit too fanciful for me. At the same time, there were several words I felt were too advanced for children, or perhaps I wouldn't have felt that way if it wasn't for the obnoxious footnotes pointing them out every time to explain them. I soon had the overwhelming feeling that either 1. the author shouldn't have bothered to explain them and let the reader look the words up for themselves, 2. the author shouldn't have used words like that if she thought the readers might be confused, or 3. I shouldn't be reading children's books at my age.

Despite these slight annoyances, I found Return to the Willows to be a sweet, charming book. Mole and Badger were depicted perfectly (I particularly liked Badger's straightforward suggestions while the heroes were hatching a plan to free Humphrey, and how he stopped signing onto the letters that Mole sent the weasels, losing his patience), and there was just the right amount of Toad here. I've discovered that Toad is best enjoyed in small doses- even in the original book I found him to be rather overbearing, on the verge of derailing the entire plot- and while a large amount of the story does consist of Toad's adventures at Oxford and his daring return home, it was evenly balanced by Humphrey and Sammy's exploits, and the plan to rescue Humphrey led by Badger, Rat, and Mole. In short, I found it less tedious to read about Toad in this book than in the original. He even struck me as more endearing, perhaps because his massive ego was somewhat toned down.

At first, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the original characters, but I ended up really liking Humphrey, and I sympathized with poor Sammy. As for Matilda, the mere fact that there was a love interest in this book initially put me off, not only because I'm inherently put off by the addition of a needless love interest into already-interesting narratives, but also because giving Ratty a love interest just felt wrong to me. "Ratty has already met his true love," mind-readers could hear me shouting, "and her name is the River!" But, similar to how Mole fears in the book that Matilda will take his best friend away from him, I was simply being too protective of my favorite character. It also helped to realize that he is #NotMyWaterRat- that is, not the one that Kenneth Grahame wrote about, but the one Jacqueline Kelly wrote about- and therefore I was no more entitled to him than the author. So, Matilda was a nice addition to the story after all, and the ending genuinely made me say "Awww" out loud. I do wish that their relationship hadn't been so insta-love, but again... it's a book for children, Blue.

Besides the things that bothered me that I already mentioned, which can be chalked up to me reading something that's not on my personal reading level, my only real criticism of the book would be that there wasn't nearly enough of it. Just like in the original, I could have done with a bit more messing about in boats. And to spend a little more time on characters not named Toad (or, in this book, Toad or Humphrey). Nevertheless, this was a nice little book and I'm not sorry I read it.

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lovely Return to Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows'

It is difficult to believe that it has been over 100 years since the original book `The Wind in the Willows', a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame was first published in 1908. That novel children's book, alternately slow moving and languid and fast paced as in wild adventures, focused on four anthropomorphized animal characters - Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger -in a pastoral version of England. That novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie and celebrated for its evocation of the nature of the Thames valley.

Now 104 years latter Jacquelyn Kelly takes up the banner by writing a sequel, The Return to the Willows. She keeps the same characters and adds some (badger, weasel, hedgehog, and the female rat Matilde) and though the book starts with the same ride on the river with Ratty and Mole, the adventures they encounter are new and for the most part successful. Toad's wild ride has now become an adventure in a balloon ride that seems to be the focus of this set of stories. Kelly writes well, but she has taken on an aspect of her writing (Kelly was born in New Zealand, raised in Canada, and now lives in Texas!) that makes her find it necessary to dumb down certain parts for American readers, even stating that fact in her footnotes. For instance, page 95 footnote: `Biscuits: cookies. To further confuse the issue, what Americans refer to as biscuits are actually more like scones.' On page 50, 'Indeed. Or as they say in America, no kidding.' It is a trait some may find `cute' but it does suggest to the child reading or hearing these stories for the first time the Americans are of lower intelligence than their British counterparts.

The illustrations by Clint Young, an immensely gifted artist, are excellent - even in the black and white versions that are part of this Advanced Reader Edition from the Vine Program of Amazon. One can only imagine how fine they will be in full color!

In all, this is a very successful sequel to one of the most beloved children's books. And it may be that Jacquelyn Kelly will want to reconsider some of the snide remarks in her footnotes, for doing so will likely increase sales in the USA. That is the reason for four stars as opposed to five.

Grady Harp

[Valentina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very few times in all the years I’ve been reading have I come across a book that is a sequel to a classic that manages to capture the essence of the first book we all fell in love with. This one, unfortunately, is not one of those.
The magic of the first book is lost in this one. Instead, this “sequel” feels sluggish and, dare I say it, quite dull. The main story doesn’t start until way too late in novel, making me wonder how children, to whom this book is geared, will make sense of what’s going on with all the side plots.
Yes, all the characters from the original are back, but they are not nearly as fascinating as the first time around. And really, the lessons we learned from Wind in the Willows are completely lost here. It’s like the author forgot the previous book even had the feeling of a parable.
Another thing that got frustrating very quickly was the author’s voice popping in at odd moments in footnotes with a really condescending tone. I’m not sure how kids will like being talked down to like that.
All in all, not one I enjoyed too much. Much better to reread the original than to bother with this one.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lectura muy entretenida que continúa la historia iniciada por el sr. Sapo y sus amigos (Tejón, Rata y Topo) en el Viento en los sauces. Un clásico maravilloso que no debería pasar tan desapercibido en estos tiempos.

La autora de La evolución de Calpurnia Tate ha escrito una secuela del maravilloso clásico infantil El viento entre los sauces (Kenneth Grahame). También os lo recomiendo encarecidamente.

Este libro está magistralmente ilustrado y divertirme de nuevo con el sr. Sapo, Topo, Rata o Tejón no tiene precio. He disfrutado como un enano... Os lo recomiendo encarecidamente.

Clint Young es un fabuloso ilustrador que ha sabido conformar a nuestros protagonistas antropomórficos y los paisajes que los rodean. Young es experto en efectos especiales y videojuegos.

J. Kelly después de ejercer como médico se licenció en Derecho y trabajó como abogada. Acabó descubriendo que su pasión era la escritura...

No lo dejéis pasar, disfrutad de sus preciosos gráficos y contadme qué os ha parecido¡¡¡

[Ch_13catherinecooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a sequel to the classic 'the wind and the willows'. However, the book can stand alone , and it isn't necessary to have read the original.

The book contains interconnected stories about the animals from the original, including the rat, the mole, toad and badger. The animals all take on human characteristics and emotions.

The stories and adventures are fun, and try to teach lessons. Additionally, have the characters learn moral tales as well.

There are numerous footnotes throughout the book which serve to explain and enhance words and phrases from the story. As the book uses a lot of English slang or turns of phrase, the footnotes help, but might not be entirely necessary. They may serve to confuse a younger reader more than help.

The book provides some illustrations to add to the text, however they are not consistent throughout the text.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grahame's cast of characters returns for new adventures mostly starring Toad's visiting nephew Humphrey, kidnapped by the Wild Wood's weasels and stoats to repair Toad's hot-air balloon.
Well-plotted and engagingly told, this is a treat for its language though after a while that can get a bit tiresome. (I've lost my enthusiasm for "messing about" with anything.) Footnotes translate the Briticisms for American readers. Some of this is probably more aimed at the adult Wind in the Willows lover, but good middle grade readers will find plenty to enjoy. The beautiful book making reminds us that this can be paired with a classic. The author wisely advises young readers to go read that one first.

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is that the author already had the characters developed for her in The Wind in the Willows. That said Ms. Kelly does a masterful job capturing the spirit and excitement of the original book. All the characters are their as they bravely go off into new adventures. The weasels are the villains but they really aren't that bad making their captive toad brush his teeth. You always know how the book will end (happy) but it is a very creative journey along the way. The artwork is nice and compliments the stories action well. A perfect book to read aloud to an elementary school class. FUN! FUN! FUN!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know there was a sequel to the classic Wind In the Willows until I discovered this book on the public library shelf while looking at books by a different author with the same last name. I had to read it immediately, and at no moment was I disappointed. I loved this book, possibly even more than the original! Continues the tale of friendship, adventure, and courage.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: I kick myself repeatedly for not officially reviewing this because somehow Kelly managed to capture the tone of the original book perfectly while also making it accessible to 21st century audiences (no mean feat!).

[Srinidhi.R Srinidhi.R · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect sequel to "The wind in the willows"..loved it..

[Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think it was necessary to put a note in the beginning about this book 'translating' the Wind in the Willows 'from English to American' (this is insulting, as if Americans can't understand British English; also, it wasn't 'translated', and they still used lots of British slang anyway; besides this, the author is from New Zealand, so why are we prioritizing American English anyway?). It's more fun to learn about different ways of talking when you're reading a book; isn't that the point of them?
A similar problem was the over-explanatory footnotes that sometimes killed a joke that could have been more funny on its own. The book would have been better if it trusted itself more, and didn't keep apologizing to people who 'might not understand' it.
Also, some parts seemed too cliche, from a typical library book, like references to Alice and Wonderland etc. (Though the parody of the Pride and Prejudice quote concerning toad made me laugh; I think I am just sick of Alice and Wonderland being overrated.)

But besides these complaints, I enjoyed the chapters about toad, especially the one where he suffers the same fate as Patrick Star in one episode of Spongebob (he gets a brain injury, which makes him become a smart professor). I should consider hitting my head someday if this result is so common.

Toad is such a good character that anyone who's writing about him can make up some funny stories. I would recommend mostly reading the Toad chapters in this book.

(The quote I liked was, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a toad in possession of a fortune must be in want of adventure. That is to say, a bored toad is a dangerous toad." Reminds me of someone I know who acts like Toad sometimes.)

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to the Willows by Jacqueline Kelly with illustrations by Clint Young continues the classic Kenneth Grahame story of Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger’s adventures. Return finds Toady flying high in a hot air balloon and with his usual carelessness an accident occurs leaving his precious balloon lost in the Wild Wood. In the meantime, Ratty falls in love and Toad’s nephew Humphrey comes to visit for the summer with his latest hobby: fireworks. Toad lovers can guess what may occur when Humphrey is away, but it all flows nicely into a well-developed adventure of friendship. The same characters including the Chief Weasel and the Under Stoat are back as the friends nemeses. Young’s beautiful full color illustrations grace the beginning of and one page within each chapter. A wonderful book to read to youngsters in grades 2 and up or have as an independent read up through grade 6.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put this book on my TBR quite a long time ago. I do not remember what motivated me to put it on the TBR but clearly my reading tastes have changed.
While I did not dislike this book or have a bad time while reading it, I did not really enjoy it that much either. The characters all feel familiar from the original, quite a feat considering that a different author wrote this "sequel" than the original. However, the prose felt incredibly pretentious with vocabulary that did not fit the age range targeted for this book. Additionally, the footnotes added another layer of pretentiousness in explaining various "British-isms." In fact, the foreword states that it was "translated" from English to American. *Gag*
The illustrations alone stand out in this book. If you just want to look at the pictures, go for it. Otherwise, I do not recommend this book.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very lovely sequel which sees Mole, Ratty and Toad go ballooning.. boating.. tinkering with beakers and chemicals and little labs to pyrotechnic effect..trudging up dusty lanes, on and off dust-ups with esteemed academia.. passing through the towering oaks of the wild wood.. watching floating leaves with little ladybugs spiral by on the stream.. and ultimately come home after their adventures with strengthened friendship. It's a perfect little loving homage to the 'Wind in the Willows' and a reminder of how life can be so fine and wonderful.

[Blabby Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I️ love this book!!! It’s such a great sequel to the Wind in the Willows:) I️ originally wasn’t planning on reading it, but the illustrations inside made me start the first chapter.... I️ couldn’t put it down!!!!!!!!!! The characters are just as you remember them and more❤️ I️KNOW you’ll love this book:)

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a worthy sequel to the original, Wind in the Willows, which I now want to read again. A great story where Toad again creates havoc and his friends, Rat, Mole and Badger, again do battle with the Weasels. Although following the style of the original story, this book is creative in taking our familiar friends into new stories. Loved the ending. The illustrations are superb.

[mama housemouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet little sequel! Many laugh-out-loud moments; from the fireworks, to Cambridge, to the birthday cake... I read the entire book in a single sitting. It was literally a couldn't-put-it-down situation. So sweet, so clever, so FUNNY! And the illustrations were positively gorgeous. Loved every minute!

[Julie Zilkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite read alouds of the year! I probably enjoyed this more than the original Wind and the Willow, but it definitely made me appreciate both of them, and will read them from now on together! Every child from 17 on down enjoyed this one!