Award Winning Author in Global Book Awards (Gold Medal) The Bedtime Book that Begs to be Read Aloud Old Mother West Wind Tales is an utterly delightful updated version of the century-old classic by Thornton W. Burgess, rewritten in a lyrical and easier-to-read-aloud poetical style for today's parents. Children delight in the mischievous antics of the animals and birds of the Grassy Green Meadow and the Windily Wood. All the old favorites--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. Fun facts about the real-life habits of the animals portrayed in the stories are found after each chapter, offering educational insights into wildlife. These gentle rhyming bedtime tales from a timeless world charm adults as much as children. 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 Tiddly Tom Trout wished he'd never gone out! - · How Johnny Chuck Found the Best Thing in the World - · And many more delightful tales These wholesome stories encourage friendship, kindness, heroism, justice, and above all, a love of nature and respect for creatures of the wild. They also cover vanity, pride, wilfulness, bullying, boasting, mischievous pranks, and their karmic comeback. The tales have gentle moral pointers that show the consequences of certain actions, such as, “Whatever you do, will come back on you.” The book will appeal l to lovers of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit, Brambly Hedge books , and Wind in the Willows. ************ Disclaimer: Although the "Look Inside" feature shows the photographs in color, this only applies to the Kindle version, as financial constraints make it too expensive for the paperback edition. However, to compensate, you will have nice cream paper to help relax your eyes while reading. ​ A softly lyrical modernization of an old American classic with a new audience in mind — Love Reading 4 Kids 5 out of 5 stars " 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 a great length for a bedtime read with a classic feel. Each chapter in the book is a separate 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 labor 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 color 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. A wonderful story collection that should become a modern classic. 5 out of 5 stars In Old Mother West Wind Tales , British author and artist Muz Murray gives us a modernized collection of traditional American tales inspired by his enjoyment of the Burgess classic as a child. The stories are both whimsical and timeless in their appeal. Murray builds on the original stories by adding characters and adventures of his own which are sure to engage and entertain young readers. Though the behavior of the animals isn't always what we might like it to be, and some get into trouble for playing pranks and suchlike, the stories are both fun to read and to read aloud. They roll off the tongue with touches of light rhyming and rhythm throughout. Each story is followed by an informative " Nature Notes " section about the featured animals. A wonderful story collection that should become a modern classic. Highly recommended. Kimberlee J Benart—for Readers' Favorite A great read-out-loud collection for teachers, parents, and grandparents — OnlineBookClub.org 4 o