A softly lyrical modernisation of an old American classic with a new audience in mind. ‘Old Mother West Wind Tales’ by Muz Murray is a collection of 16 short stories for children with a classic feel. Reminding me of Wind in the Willows, or the Winnie-the-Pooh collections that I read when I was younger, these animal-focused tales are great length for a bedtime read with a classic feel. Each chapter in the book is a story, reinvigorated with reading out loud in mind and in a larger print font making them clear for younger readers to follow along or to read independently. Based on the American childhood classic, ‘Old Mother West Wind’ by Thomas W. Burgess, now in the public domain, the author has refreshed the stories, adding and adapting the creatures of the Grassy Green Meadow for a British audience. It is clear from the endword that this work has been a labour of love, to breathe new life into a book from the author’s own childhood and bring it to the attention of a modern UK audience. The result is a softly lyrical collection of stories with a classic feel, with the addition of ‘Nature Notes’ about the animals within the stories, at the end of each chapter. I think that the author has managed the separation between the stories and these facts well, with the illustrations within the stories kept in a classical black and white sketch style and the fact pages given a more modern feel complete with colour photographs. ‘Old Mother West Wind Tales’ is a sweet collection of stories that will appeal to children aged 7+ who enjoy the classics, and will have a nostalgic feel for parents who share this book with their children.
The Bedtime Book that Begs to be Read Aloud Old Mother West Wind Tales is an updated version of the century-old classic by Thornton W. Burgess, rewritten in a lyrical and easier-to-read-aloud modern style. Children will delight in the mischievous antics of the animals and birds of the Grassy Green Meadow, the Pollywig Pool, and the Windily Wood. All the old favourites--Johnny Chuck, fly-gobbling Grandfather Frog, Jimmy Skunk, and sly Reddy Fox—are joined in their adventures by new characters such as Billy Brock, little Zoëy Otter and her brother Otty, Sneezle the Weasel, and Toby Cockles the Terrapin. Each chapter is a separate story, only ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes long; being ideal for bedtime reading. And fun facts about the real-life habits of the animals portrayed in the stories are found after each chapter. Discover... • How the Merry Little Breezes Saved Mrs. Redwing’s Eggs • Why Grandfather Frog has no tail • Why Jimmy Skunk wears stripes • How Pee-Tee the Prankster Rabbit got his Comeuppance • How Reddy Fox had a Terrible Fright • How Little Zoëy Otter Saved Grandfather Frog • How Johnny Chuck Found the Best Thing in the World • And many more delightful stories These wholesome and gentle rhyming tales from a timeless world will charm adults as well as children. The book will appeal to lovers of Beatrix Potter, Brambly Hedge, Animals of Farthing Wood, and Wind in the Willows.
