#Friday56 & #BookBeginnings: The Wind in the Willows

For Book Beginnings:
The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.

- p. 1

For Friday 56:

The Mole would not have known it was the same wood. However, they set out bravely, and took the line that seemed most promising, holding on to each other and pretending with invincible cheerfulness that they recognized an old friend in every fresh tree that grimly and silently greeted them, or saw openings, gaps or paths with a familiar turn in them, in the monotony of white space and black tree-trunks that refused to vary. 

- p. 56

Back blurb of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: One of the all-time great animal stories and a true classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame. The Wild Wood seems a terrifying place to Mole, until he finds it's full of friends - Kind, sleepy Badger; brave and lively Ratty; and the irresponsible Mr Toad, famous for his wealth and his car smashes. But there are also the sinister weasels and stoats, and they capture Toad Hall when Mr Toad is in jail. How will he escape? And can the friends fight together to save Toad Hall?

Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows needs no introduction. Entertaining adults and children alike for over a hundred years, characters such as Ratty, Mole, Badger and, of course, the irrepressible Mr Toad have influenced children's animal stories ever since. Fun, exciting, whimsical and dangerous at times, The Wind in the Willows can't help but spark a child's imagination.

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Yay, Spring! That beginning is a great reminder for me to get on my Spring cleaning. P.S. I am doing some Spring blog cleaning this Bloggiesta, and I am hosting a mini challenge with a prize ... don't forget to check that out!

Back to my featured book -- Did you read this as a child? Would you reread this?