Classics Illustrated Deluxe #1: The Wind in the Willows

One of the best illustrations i have seen in years...it takes us into a beautiful world. Bit sad about not able to find more books by michel plessix.

I began collecting the original Classics Illustrated in 1953, when I was 7. Now I have a complete set of them (there are 168 titles in the series, but I have in excess of 220, which includes different covers, different interior art, and all of the Classic Comics issues). I also have all of the Marvel Classics, and all of the First Publishing Classics Illustrated. Needless to say, you can tell that I really enjoy these books! This new issue is remarkable, for it greatly expands the 60 pages from the original Classics (cut down to 48 in later years), so that there is much more space to tell a more complete story. "Wind in the Willows" is also one of my favorite books, and I was extremely impressed by the quality of the work, and the excellence of the artistry involved. The tale of Rat, Mole, Badger and J. Thaddeus Toad has never looked better! I intend to collect every one of these fine books!

The Wind in the Willows: Classics Illustrated Deluxe Classics Illustrated have a 60 year old reputation that is hard to beat. What other series has been embraced by educators and readers around the world and still garners attention from mainstream publishing? NBM, in association with Jack Lake Productions and First Classics, has released the Michael Plessix adaptation of Kenneth Grahames' "Wind in the Willows". The adventures of Toad, Mole, Badger, Otter, and Rat leap off the page with an amazing life its' own. Msr Plessix' art is delightful, combining a wide range of color pallettes and detailed imagery. Clearly, this was a work of love. The only drawback to the book is the size of the book. With art this complex, some of the detail is lost in the panel sizes. However, a larger presetation would necessitate a higher price. I can just imagine what the gallery quality original art must look like. "Wind" is broken into 10 chapters following the first encounter of the water Rat, Mole, Otter and Toad. Theirs is a friendship born through and deepened by adventure. Whether it is going to visit Badger and his amazing underground home, or traveling with Toad, a boundless enthusiasm for life is woven through the fabric of the adventures. Like the original series before, this presentation of the stories is magical and if this is any indication of the books to follow, Classics Illustrated Deluxe is sure to build a new generation of readers. [...] Tim Lasiuta

The Wind in the Willows is a full-color graphic novel adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic anthropomorphic fable following the adventures of the humble Mole, the river-loving Water Rat, the gruff yet wise Badger, and the fabulously wealthy yet all-too-easily worked-up Toad. Toad has many foibles, some more endearing than others, but perhaps the most troublesome is his sudden obsession with automobiles - a trait that prompts his downfall when he commits a sudden infraction of grand theft auto out of pure love for reckless driving! Though set in a quasi turn-of-the-century motif, with subtle issues of class and social station, The Wind in the Willows has a timeless grace that makes it a joy to read for adults and children alike. The caricatures of the story's many creatures, as drawn by Michel Plessix, perfectly capture the quirks and enthusiasm of the many woodland denizens. Perhaps most awe-inspiring, though, is Badger's prediction that rings as true today as it ever did: "If this contraption [the automobile] keeps on, people will invade all the beautiful places! You'll have to build roads to go there and buildings to house them, thereby destroying what they came looking for in the first place... And then you'll have to park the cars somewhere. They'll hog the sidewalks and the squares. Children will no longer be able to play in the streets, and the people strolling will disappear because it will become necessary that everything go as fast as that machine. Since people will spend all their time in this rolling cage, they'll lose the habit of speaking to one another and will no longer understand one another. Then they'll hate each other." Highly recommended for readers of all ages. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

My teenager daughter loves "Classics Illustrated Deluxe: The Wind in the Willows," and she was the one that insisted on getting it. I started to read this book in my spare time and I was fascinated by this book also. Michel Plessix captured the essence of Kenneth Grahame's classic and did a great job in adapting it as a graphic novel. The story is engaging and interesting. This book includes 11 chapters: The River Bank, The Open Road, The Wild Wood, Mr. Badger, Home Sweet Home, Mr. Toad, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Toad's Adventure, The Further Adventure of Toad, Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears, The Return of Ulysses and an Epilogue at the end. Each chapter has an interesting story or an unexpected adventure. For example, in Chapter One, The River Bank, Mole and Rat have a nice picnic and run into some old friends (Otter, Toad and Badger), but on their way home, their boat unexpectedly turns over. You wonders what happens to them. In Chapter Three, The Wild Wood, Mole accidentally wanders into the forbidden Wild Wood. Fortunately Rat finds him, but both of them get caught in a snowstorm and get lost again...What will happen to them? Will they survive the snowstorm? "Classics Illustrated Deluxe: The Wind in the Willows" is filled with pageturners and cliffhangers like these. I found myself glued to the book and just kept reading. I actually spent two years taking various drawing courses when I was studying for my Bachelor degree in Architecture, so I know how hard it is to do graphic illustrations. Michel Plessix's illustrations are masterfully done. They are very detailed and vivid. The colors are pleasant and professional. "Classics Illustrated Deluxe: The Wind in the Willows" has 144 pages and full-color interior illustrations. It is a great read for leisure and pleasures for both adults and children! Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Author of "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Architectural Practice Simplified," "Planting Design Illustrated," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture