A New World version of a classic, set on a New England coastal estuary in the 1920's. This is a story about the denizens of a very special river. For like their relatives on the other side of the ocean, this river had its own Rat, Mole, Badger, Otter, and Weasel clans.
When a spooky nocturnal creature starts terrorizing the riverfront, Mr. Rat's clever daughter sets to work solving the mystery and unmasking the culprit. But that is only the beginning of the intrigue and adventure one eventful summer.
This lyrically-written book features a mysterious Native American prophesy, a suspected sea monster, a scavenger hunt with a surprising twist, persnickety weasels, a mysterious clue etched on a piece of birch bark, some hilarious hijinks by Mr. Toad's son, a chatterbox bobolink, a devastating hurricane, a heroic rescue, a liberal sprinkling of gentle humor, nautical adventures in wooden boats, some historical fiction, an unusual square dance with fireflies, a campfire on the beach at night watching shooting stars, some scalding Advanced Praise, an outrageously conceited poem by Mr. Toad, and an snarky interview by the author.
This story is set against the rural backdrop of coastal New England almost a century ago. All the natural history and science in this book is accurate and will inspire young readers to learn more. Most of the locations, boat names, and historical events are accurate for the times.
About the Author :
Frederick Thurber earned a BA degree from Brown University. After moving to Westport, Massachusettes he wrote about the wildlife of the Southcoast for over 20 years through his weekly column, "Woods & Waters" in the Dartmouth Chronicle and Westport Shorelines. He has also been a guest nature columnist in the Providence Journal, and produced an audio version of his nature essays for Rhode Island Public Radio. Thurber began his writing career during the Striped Bass collapse of the 1980's where he was a passionate advocate, and voice for their conservation. His discoveries with Geoff Dennis regarding the foraging habits of the Hermit Thursh have been published in a technical birding (ornithological) journal The Wilson Bulletin. Frederick Thurber earned a BA degree from Brown University. After moving to Westport, Massachusettes he wrote about the wildlife of the Southcoast for over 20 years through his weekly column, "Woods & Waters" in the Dartmouth Chronicle and Westport Shorelines. He has also been a guest nature columnist in the Providence Journal, and produced an audio version of his nature essays for Rhode Island Public Radio. Thurber began his writing career during the Striped Bass collapse of the 1980's where he was a passionate advocate, and voice for their conservation. His discoveries with Geoff Dennis regarding the foraging habits of the Hermit Thrush have been published in a technical birding (ornithological) journal The Wilson Bulletin. This is his first book. Amy Thurber grew up in the woods of Central Connecticut, where her father taught her geology, ecology, fishing, and the wisdom of the woodland creatures, trees, and wildflowers. After earning a BFA degree in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, she moved to Little Compton, Rhode Island, and then Westport, Massachusetts. Her illustrations and graphic designs have appeared in local publications, and with her husband's nature columns. She has also dabbled in farming, and now grows unusual plants to create her leaf pottery. She currently resides in Massachusetts, with her husband, son, pet cat, pet dove, and 10 beloved hens.
Review :
"Nobody who ever read The Wind in the Willows wants it to ever end. Thank you, Frederick Thurber, for this delightfully worthy sequel, in a fresh new setting, and with gorgeous artwork by Amy Thurber. I love it!"
-- Sy Montgomery, author of How to Be A Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus
"Charm, fun, adventure; the sparkle of light on water and wit in words. Thurber layers his own deft imagination onto a beloved classic, and returns us to a world lost to most of us -- one that he never left."
-- Dominique Browning, writer, editor emeritus House & Garden, co-founder of Moms Clean Air Force
"A stunning sequel to Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's classic.... Written in an old-fashioned vernacular that feels similar to the original, this pastiche is simply enchanting.... The whole package is a gem."
-- Lauren Daley, Book Columnist, The New Bedford Standard-Times
"It really, truly is charming . . . . If Kenneth Grahame captured your heart with the adventures of woodland creatures in The Wind in the Willows, then Frederick Thurber is sure to keep it as he explores the antics of said creatures' offspring in his sequel, In The Wake of the Willows, a charming book that captures the essence of Grahame's work and infuses it with Thurber's own deep knowledge and love of the natural world."
-- Jeannette de Beauvoir, Writer and host of Arts Week on WOMR.
"Enchanting..."
-- Dr. Jonathan L. Atwood, Director of Bird Conservation, Massachusetts Audubon Society
"Thurber's writing is witty, charming, and dear. He has set the tone perfectly...The world he has crafted is both a homage to Grahame's classic tale and original. It is inviting, and beautifully rendered."
-- Susie Spikol Faber, author and School Outreach Coordinator and Teacher Naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, New Hampshire.
"This delightful sequel to The Wind in the Willows features a new generation of young animals who learn to value nature, hard work and family as they grow up. It is fun to read, and fun to read aloud."
-- Tom Gidwitz is a writer, editor, and photographer specializing in archaeology and volcanology. Formerly editor of Currents, the members quarterly at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and a contributing editor for Archaeology Magazine, he is the author of The Story in the Stone, a children's book on the Smithsonian Institution's Panama Paleontology Project, which revealed how plate tectonics built the Isthmus of Panama.
