Kenneth Graham's The Wind in the Willows is one of the most celebrated works of literature for children, and this Penguin Classics edition contains notes and an introduction by Gillian Avery.

Meek little Mole, wilful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant, boastful Toad: over one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly and friendship. And their misadventures - in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their beloved Wild Wood - continue to capture readers' imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie.

This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad, and new introduction by children's literature historian Gillian Avery.

Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was an English bank official, writer, author of The Wind in the Willows (1908), set in the idyllic English countryside. The work established Grahame's international reputation as a writer of children's books and has deeply influenced fantasy literature.

If you enjoyed The Wind in the Willows, you might enjoy JM Barrie's Peter Pan, also available in Penguin Classics.

'A charming book'
Terry Jones

Gillian Avery is a historian of children's books. Her publications include Childhood's Pattern: A Study of the Heroes and Heroines of Children's Fiction, 1770-1950, and Behold the Child: American Children and Their Books, 1621-1922.