Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales from the Wind in the Willows
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
M. G. Leonard is the bestselling writer of children’s books Beetle Boy, the Adventures on Trains series, The Twitchers series and her newest time-travelling mystery series, Time Keys.
Her work had been translated into over forty languages and her books have won many awards, including Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year, British Book Awards Book of the year, and the Branford Boase Award. Her books have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, shortlisted for an Edgar by the Mystery Writers of America and longlisted for the Wainwright Prize.
Maya lives by the sea with her husband and two sons, a dog called Nell and a tank of exotic beetles. She spent her early career in the music industry before she trained as an actor, before becoming a digital producer for Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House, the National Theatre and Harry Potter West End.
Maya is one of the founding authors of #Authors4Oceans, with Lauren St John, campaigning to reduce single-use plastics.
<p>"Elegantly balancing delight and peril, these stories of a lovable otter pup feature cameos from Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole – and some unsettling appearances from the Weasels. Dunbar’s adorable illustrations complement this perfect introduction to Wind in the Willows for 8+ (or for younger bedtime listeners)” — Imogen Russell Williams, <em>Guardian</em></p>
<p>"The ‘untold’ Wind in the Willows? It’s brilliant … If intelligent adaptations such as this can encourage readers to give the original a go, then we should welcome them with open arms” — Emily Bearn, <em>Telegraph</em></p>
<p>"A magical tale of one mischievous otter bursting with charm, wit and wonder” — Hannah Gold</p>
<p>“Brimming with heart, this magical retelling bubbles with wonder, joy and love. Otterly brilliant” — Piers Torday, author of <em>The Last Wild</em></p>
<p>“A glorious future classic for all generations” — Alexander Armstrong, author of <em>Evenfall</em></p>
<p>"Marvellous tales, full of sparkle and charm” — Sophie Anderson, author of <em>The Girl Who Speaks Bear</em></p>
<p>"One of the loveliest books I've read in a long time, THE ADVENTURES OF PORTLY THE OTTER transported me utterly” — Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of <em>The Girl of Ink and Stars</em></p>
<p>"The spirit of <em>The Wind in the Willows</em>, with extra otterly joy. A story that ripples with the gentleness of childhood wonder and friendship.” — Leah Lane, @mymulberryhouse</p>
<p>“Leonard’s writing is captivating, Dunbar’s full colour illustrations are adorable and together they capture the spirit of the original story in a way that will entrance readers old and new.” — Charlotte Eyre</p>
<p>"With captivating writing and beautiful full-colour illustrations, Leonard’s tale lovingly captures the spirit of the classic for new readers” — <em>The i Paper</em></p>
<p>“MG Leonard’s new children’s novel of riverbank tales is a joy … A modern masterpiece” — <em>Yorkshire Life</em></p>
<p>"Full of all the gentle charm, nostalgia, mischief and river-splashing fun that has enchanted readers for over a hundred years” — Lancashire Post</p>
"A magical tale of one mischievous otter bursting with charm, wit and wonder" — Hannah Gold
From bestselling author of Adventures on Trains, M.G.Leonard, and beautifully illustrated in full colour by award-winning illustrator of The Hug, Polly Dunbar, this gorgeous hardback gift book is inspired by and celebrates the 95th anniversary of EH Shepard’s iconic artwork for The Wind in the Willows.
There is a time in a young otter’s life when they must be introduced to their river. For Portly, today was that day …
Told across four seasons in one year, little Portly has the greatest of adventures. Among other fur-raising encounters, the youngest of Mrs Otter’s pups learns to swim, battles a large trout, rescues a human girl, outwits the weasels and stoats of the Wild Wood and sleeps in the care of the god Pan – a scene familiar to readers of the original book.
Full of all the charm, nostalgia and sounds of splashing in the river that fans of The Wind in the Willows have fallen in love with over the years, M.G.Leonard’s faithful spin-off will enchant an entirely new generation.
The perfect Easter gift for both new readers and existing fans – young and old!
🦦“This magical retelling bubbles with wonder, joy and love.” — Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild
“A glorious future classic” — Alexander Armstrong, author of Evenfall
"Marvellous tales, full of sparkle and charm” — Sophie Anderson, author of The Girl Who Speaks Bear
"One of the loveliest books I've read in a long time” — Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars
"A story that ripples with the gentleness of childhood wonder and friendship.” — Leah Lane, @mymulberryhouse
🦦 Pre-order now!the official and beautifully colour-illustrated The Wind in the Willows spin-off novel, new for 2026!
the official and beautifully colour-illustrated The Wind in the Willows spin-off novel, new for 2026!
- PORTLY has sold over 2.6k copies through TCM in the first two weeks of sale
- Blanket and and rave review coverage across all national and local print press as well as major TV slots including Blue Peter
- Exclusive sprayed edge editions for both Waterstones and the Indies
- Rights deals are starting to roll in including Chinese, Russian, Dutch and Slovak so far
- MG Leonard is a bestselling and award-winning author with a passion for rural Britain – her books including Beetle Boy and the Adventures on Trains series and have sold almost 140k units in the UK, and have been translated into 40 languages
- With school-friendly themes of nature and the environment, encouraging young readers into the countryside
- The perfect gift and summer reading moment for young readers
- Celebrating the 95th anniversary of EH Shepard’s illustrations for The Wind in the Willows, accompanied by a major marketing campaign including themed RHS nature trails across the country
- Full colour illustrations from the internationally renowned Polly Dunbar
- An exciting investment in and major expansion of this classic and much-loved brand
Competition: The; Wind in the Willows; Twitchers; Foxlight; Lark; The Last Bear; House at Pooh Corner; Secret Garden; Save our Forest; River Boy; Wild Way Home; Greenwild; Explorers; Midnight Fox; Pax. Katya Balen; Hannah Gold; Anthony McGowan; Kenneth Grahame; AA MIlne; Sophie Kirtley; Pari Thompson; Katherine Rundell; Gill Lewis
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
M. G. Leonard is the bestselling writer of children’s books Beetle Boy, the Adventures on Trains series, The Twitchers series and her newest time-travelling mystery series, Time Keys.
Her work had been translated into over forty languages and her books have won many awards, including Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year, British Book Awards Book of the year, and the Branford Boase Award. Her books have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, shortlisted for an Edgar by the Mystery Writers of America and longlisted for the Wainwright Prize.
Maya lives by the sea with her husband and two sons, a dog called Nell and a tank of exotic beetles. She spent her early career in the music industry before she trained as an actor, before becoming a digital producer for Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House, the National Theatre and Harry Potter West End.
Maya is one of the founding authors of #Authors4Oceans, with Lauren St John, campaigning to reduce single-use plastics.