Begin, who illustrated Chronicle’s 2002 edition of The Wind in the Willows
, invades that classic to produce a new series, billed as “friendship stories inspired by The Wind in the Willows
”; she rewinds Kenneth Grahame’s narrative chronology and imagines how his characters became friends—or “buds.” This first installment, like the others based on “great-great-uncle Ratty’s diary,” tells how Mrs. B. becomes a nanny for the unruly Toady and brings along a “special someone,” her son, Badger. “Toady was horrified. 'I’m the only special someone
at Toad Hall!’ he grumbled.” Many in the preschool set will recognize Toady’s toy-hoarding antics, which are cured in a concise but sorely predictable narrative. Begin’s watercolor-and-pastel illustrations render the duo almost in three dimensions, Toady like a rubber toy and Badger as a plush, with expressive faces and especially large eyes. Packaged in a small trim size, the stylized paintings in jewel-toned hues will appeal to the intended audience, though they’re a definite departure from the Ernest Shepard incarnations. Why Grahame’s turf must be pressed into service for dreary didactic storytelling, however, remains baffling. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)
