He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before - this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver - glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
A lovely book, but a strange combination of a simple storyline about little furry creatures and very complex language. Both DH and I remembered this story with fondness, although now that we have tried to read it to Carbon we can’t think that it was actually read to us in this original form. It was a challenging listen for Carbon, and he really tried to soldier through. We read half the book. But I could tell, from the wiggling and general reluctance for storytime, that he wasn’t having a good time. So we have solemnly promised each other that we will come back to this book in a few years, when he is older, and in the meantime to send it back to the library where it can sing to another child. There is no point in forcing a book when a child is not ready for it.
Other books we’ve enjoyed this week:
Intriguing illustrations and poems about mythological creatures from around the world.
Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps
We love Henry and Mudge, and we could relate to their troubles visiting Grandma. Ah, Grandma - why do you have so many things that can be knocked off low tables? Why is it so hard to be a dog or a child in Grandma’s house? We have experienced this stress ourselves. 
Here’s a great idea for a stormy day: make a Thunder Cake to enjoy during the storm. A frightened girl and her grandmother gather the ingredients from around the farm, and prepare the cake just in time for the storm to be right on top of them. In the process, the girl sees that she’s not afraid. There’s a recipe for the cake in the back of the book, and I think we may try this out next time we have a really good storm! Although we have an electric oven, so this may not be practical …
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