The Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales from the Wind in the Willows

By Author / Illustrator

M.G. Leonard, illus Polly Dunbar

Genre

Animals

Age range(s)

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN

9780008667771

Format

Hardback

Published

26-03-2026

Synopsis

Follow the thrilling animal adventures of young otter Portly - including all your favourite characters such as Mole, Ratty and Toad, from the countryside classic, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

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.

"A magical tale of one mischievous otter bursting with charm, wit and wonder" - Hannah Gold; "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.

View Extract

Reviews

Sue

Young otter pup Portly is frightened of the river when he first sees it and is worried that he is not otter-like enough. However, as he meets the other creatures who inhabit the river and its banks, Portly soon learns to swim. As the seasons pass, he has many adventures and makes many friends.

In The Wind in the Willows, there is a chapter entitled The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Offering a different tone and pace to the rest of the book, this is often missed out of versions of the book aimed at children, but it is here that we meet a young otter pup named Portly. From this, M G Leonard has been inspired to create The Adventures of Portly the Otter, a delightful book following the activities of this very lovable otter pup.

With all the joy of the original and yet finding a voice of its own, The Adventures of Portly the Otter is completely captivating! Lyrical descriptions capture the essence of the riverbank and some familiar faces appear making this a very comforting read for those familiar with The Wind in the Willows. As the stories unfold across the seasons, Portly grows into a curious otter, keen to explore and learn, venturing beyond the interests and concerns of his family.

From being nervous about learning to swim to rescuing a human girl lost in the Wild Woods and escaping the clutches of the stoats and the weasels, Portly's adventures include one in which he encounters Pan, reflecting the chapter from the original book. His adventures show him to be kind, loyal, determined and courageous as he becomes more confident in himself and finds his own path.

The book is beautifully illustrated, including a lovely map which allows readers to follow Portly’s adventures. Perfect for bedtime stories or for a class story time, The Adventures of Portly the Otter will enchant and delight readers every bit as much as The Wind in the Willows.

224 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher