Listen to a sample
The Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales from the Wind in the Willows
- Author
- M.G. Leonard
- Narrator
- M.G. Leonard
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 26 March 2026
- Run Time
- 4 hours 7 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Classic fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Humorous stories
What to expect
"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
🦦Critics Review
-
"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, Guardian
-
"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, Telegraph
-
"A magical tale of one mischievous otter bursting with charm, wit and wonder” — Hannah Gold
-
“Brimming with heart, this magical retelling bubbles with wonder, joy and love. Otterly brilliant” — Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
“A glorious future classic for all generations” — 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, THE ADVENTURES OF PORTLY THE OTTER transported me utterly” — Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars
-
"The spirit of The Wind in the Willows, with extra otterly joy. A story that ripples with the gentleness of childhood wonder and friendship.” — Leah Lane, @mymulberryhouse
-
“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
-
"With captivating writing and beautiful full-colour illustrations, Leonard’s tale lovingly captures the spirit of the classic for new readers” — The i Paper
-
“MG Leonard’s new children’s novel of riverbank tales is a joy … A modern masterpiece” — Yorkshire Life
-
"Full of all the gentle charm, nostalgia, mischief and river-splashing fun that has enchanted readers for over a hundred years” — Lancashire Post
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- M.G. Leonard
- Narrator
- M.G. Leonard
- Duration
- 4 hours 7 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9780008667795
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Classic fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Humorous stories
Synopsis
**Highly commended for the Wainwright Prize for Children’s Fiction 2026** 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. The perfect gift! 🦦 "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 🦦
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.