Who Wrote “The Wind in the Willows”
“The Wind in the Willows” is a children’s novel first published in 1908. It follows the adventures of four animal characters and is set in England. The book contains many themes and cleverly uses the animal characters to explore human emotions. The book has been a favorite with children (and adults) since it was released and is considered one of the finest pieces of children’s literature from the 20th century. The book has also been adapted many times and many stage, television, film and radio versions have been made. Let’s find out who wrote this classic book.
Who wrote “The Wind in the Willows”?
“The Wind in the Willows” was written by the Scottish author Kenneth Grahame (pictured). In 1908 he left his job as secretary of the Bank of England and moved to the small town of Cookham where he had lived as a child. He spent many hours by the River Thames and it is believed that this was where he drew much of his inspiration for his story. He began to write down the stories that he told his son, Alistair, and this became the much loved novel. The original book was published in plain text and the first illustrated edition, with illustrations by Paul Bransom, was released in 1913.
Did you know?
US president Theodore Roosevelt was a big fan of the book. He personally wrote to Grahame to tell him the impact that his novel had on him.
Kenneth Grahame also wrote “The Reluctant Dragon” and both of these novels were adapted for film by Walt Disney Pictures.
Other theories suggest that the original inspiration for the story came from Crinan Canal or the River Pang. It is believed that a sighting of a water vole at the River Pang inspired the character Ratty!
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