Our Animated Anecdotes this week is from the brilliant Dr Kathleen Waller of The Matterhorn Substack Dr Kathleen offers incredible insights to readers, writers, film buffs and all curious thinkers.
Brilliant examination of an old classic! And who knew there were so many academic articles about it?! I agree 100% about speaking to children more like adults, and think this shows a two-way respect. Something that rankles me no end is when I hear adults speak down to children (of any age) as though their opinions are not valid. I love that you and your family watched British imports together! Some of my fondest memories are of watching (some of them wholly unsuitable, now I think of them) US imports with my mum.
Think you’re spot on about respect and the kiddos. Ah imports! At the time, it was so foreign and so special to have access. Another fave was A Child’s Christmas in Wales. I wanted to be in Wales. It just looked like a different world!
Oh my goodness. I loved this. Badger had the cosiest home and I recall being pretty frightened of the weasels. If I remember correctly, the opening credits were pretty special too. Thanks for the memories!
Thank you for this wonderful post! I was very much brought up with this book, a haunting presence in my countryside childhood. There are so many magical moments in it, such as here: "The Toad never answered a word, or budged from his seat in the road; so they went to see what was the matter with him. They found him in a sort of a trance, a happy smile on his face, his eyes still fixed on the dusty wake of their destroyer. At intervals he was still heard to murmur “Poop-poop!”' That image has stayed with me as a brilliantly comic depiction of the way that our society views novelty. Right now, for instance, one might say that we are sitting in the middle of hyperspace, murmuring 'poop-poop!' over the emergence of AI.
By contrast, I was always terrified of the weasels in 'Wind of the Willows'. They encapsulated the darker forces of life. I think they still do. Thank you for making me recall this amazing (if disconcerting) book!
Wow, I hadn’t thought of this series for years, but seeing the pictures brought it right back!
I never enjoyed the book, for exactly the reason your son pointed out - no girls! (I far preferred the Fern Hollow books) - but this was the best of the adaptations, in my opinion (apart from the psychotherapy book, “Counselling for Toads” by Robert de Board, which I would love to see animated!).
Thank you for your insights, and overview of the literature around this topic (who knew?!). That so cool!
Yeah it’s a weird one right? Somehow it never put me off :) Love to see how scholars look at details of works like this. After all, we are a product of our cultural experience.
This is my favorite piece thus far from the newsletter! I loved reading Dr Kathleen's insights and would be more than happy to see her do more animation analyses.
This was a classic & Dr Waller wrote such a heart warming piece.
Thank you for the opportunity, Jon! What a great newsletter you have.
Brilliant examination of an old classic! And who knew there were so many academic articles about it?! I agree 100% about speaking to children more like adults, and think this shows a two-way respect. Something that rankles me no end is when I hear adults speak down to children (of any age) as though their opinions are not valid. I love that you and your family watched British imports together! Some of my fondest memories are of watching (some of them wholly unsuitable, now I think of them) US imports with my mum.
Think you’re spot on about respect and the kiddos. Ah imports! At the time, it was so foreign and so special to have access. Another fave was A Child’s Christmas in Wales. I wanted to be in Wales. It just looked like a different world!
And thank you!!
Oh my goodness. I loved this. Badger had the cosiest home and I recall being pretty frightened of the weasels. If I remember correctly, the opening credits were pretty special too. Thanks for the memories!
You're welcome and thanks so much for reading, Susan!
I highly recommend going back to a few episodes or the initial animated TV-film. It was both enjoyable and whacky. :)
Thank you, Kate. This was such a nostalgia trip. I love these Animated Anecdotes. I never read the book, but remember the TV adaptation vividly.
Thanks a lot, Victoria! Now you know the origins of my fascination with your country. :)
Thank you for this wonderful post! I was very much brought up with this book, a haunting presence in my countryside childhood. There are so many magical moments in it, such as here: "The Toad never answered a word, or budged from his seat in the road; so they went to see what was the matter with him. They found him in a sort of a trance, a happy smile on his face, his eyes still fixed on the dusty wake of their destroyer. At intervals he was still heard to murmur “Poop-poop!”' That image has stayed with me as a brilliantly comic depiction of the way that our society views novelty. Right now, for instance, one might say that we are sitting in the middle of hyperspace, murmuring 'poop-poop!' over the emergence of AI.
By contrast, I was always terrified of the weasels in 'Wind of the Willows'. They encapsulated the darker forces of life. I think they still do. Thank you for making me recall this amazing (if disconcerting) book!
Stop motion is magical. CGI is great and all but...
Totally agree!
Wow, I hadn’t thought of this series for years, but seeing the pictures brought it right back!
I never enjoyed the book, for exactly the reason your son pointed out - no girls! (I far preferred the Fern Hollow books) - but this was the best of the adaptations, in my opinion (apart from the psychotherapy book, “Counselling for Toads” by Robert de Board, which I would love to see animated!).
Thank you for your insights, and overview of the literature around this topic (who knew?!). That so cool!
Thanks so much Kathlyn!
Yeah it’s a weird one right? Somehow it never put me off :) Love to see how scholars look at details of works like this. After all, we are a product of our cultural experience.
This is my favorite piece thus far from the newsletter! I loved reading Dr Kathleen's insights and would be more than happy to see her do more animation analyses.