The Wind in the Willows By Kenneth Graham & The Willows in Winter By William Horwood.

Two great stories on one DVD.

One of my favourite stories EVER! All the characters from The Wind in the Willows have been brought to life (animated life anyway) this has been done wonderfully well by John Coates and his team. All the same old characters that we have grown to love appear in this version of the popular book by Kenneth Grahame. Ratty, Mole and, of course Toad (of Toad Hall) all perform and retell the famous stories.

The story opens with footage of people boating down the river and they refer to the characters from the river. Next the story flows well to the animated borrow of Mole, spring-cleaning and whitewashing his burrow. Next we meet Rat across the river he takes his boat across the river, collects Mole and takes him to meet the other characters on the River. From one scenario to another Ratty and Mole travel their way through the day enjoying the company of the other animals and the pace of the river.

For those of you new to the story; the animals of the river; Rat, Toad, Mole, Badger, etc all have personalities that will endear them to you. Rat - the lovable larrikin with the infectious laugh, he knows all the goings-on on the river and all the animals are pleased to see him each day. Mole is new to the scene and has only a limited knowledge of his surroundings. Until now he used to spend most of his time in his burrow. Toad is not sure what he wants, (he wants it all!) and he spends his whole life trying out new stuff! Toad has all the best toys and gadgets and is constantly finding something ?even better? to do. Unfortunately for Toad he usually does not spend enough time planning and usually ends up in some sort of trouble.

Both stories on this DVD have remained true to the books. Whilst the animation is superb, don?t look for clever computer generated animation, as this is not a DVD that will impress you with clever tricks. However, the depth of the characters and the language of the script will be enough to keep you glued to the screen. I loved having the opportunity to introduce ?the Wind in the Willows? to my four children (aged 4 to and they loved it! They sat in silence and let the story unwind before them; this is truly a DVD that will entertain.

I really enjoyed the vibrant colour in the DVD & the picture clarity was brilliant, pretty much what I have come to expect with DVD. With a running time of approx 150 minutes and a rating of ?G? this is a DVD the whole family could enjoy. The sound is crisp and pure, I have surround sound and this DVD was pretty much the same high quality that distinguishes DVD from Video. This is a perfect gift for a small child and a welcome addition to any good home collection.

THE EXTRAS

No extras, but with these two films, who needs more.

CONCLUSION

One of my favourite stories EVER! All the characters from The Wind in the Willows have been brought to life (animated life anyway) this has been done wonderfully well by John Coates and his team. All the same old characters that we have grown to love appear in this version of the popular book by Kenneth Grahame. Rat, Mole and, of course Toad (of Toad Hall) all perform and retell the famous stories. Add to that the bonus of the Willows in WInter and you have a superb DVD for a great price.