Willows and Beyond (Tales of the Willows) by William Horwood. 2011. Hardcover (Ch-FIC)

Toad of Toad Hall has his finest hour – in the final volume of William Horwood’s bestselling Tales of the Willows sequence.

First in The Willows in Winter and then in Toad Triumphant, William Horwood returned to the idyllic setting of The Wind in the Willows and successfully brought back Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved characters in two new bestselling tales. Now he brings to a triumphant conclusion one of the world’s most popular stories – with over 60 illustrations by the award-winning Patrick Benson.

It began, long ago, when Mole abandoned his spring-cleaning and first met Ratty, Badger, Otter and, of course, the exasperating Toad. Now we find the loyal companions approaching the autumn of their lives, reflecting on their many escapades together, and preparing to hand over to the next generation. But there are still plenty of surprises in store, for young and old – especially when their beloved River Bank way of life is suddenly threatened with destruction.