Kenneth Grahame has created one of the most beloved YA worlds to date…That of the Wind and the Willows. The book has spawned numerous films, theme park rides and spin offs. We spoke to Grahame about this magical world in its entire splendor.

Meet little Mole, willful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant Toad. In the almost one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they’ve become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly, and friendship. And their misadventures-in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their Wild Wood-continue to capture readers’ imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie. This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad.

YA: How did you get into writing?

Kenneth Grahame: Flight of fancy, I suppose. Writing is a young man’s game and I wanted to play It was just a bit of a lark, but I grew to love it and eventually became obsessed by it.

YA: What inspired The Wind and the Willows?

KG: My son, Alastair also known as Mouse, was the biggest inspiration. Seeing him grow up and experience the world and use his imagination was inspiration enough.

YA: There have been many take offs and adaptations of your work. Do you have a favorite?

KG: The Disney film at this point. However, I’m thrilled to see the updated version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride…The movie! That may be the wildest ride of all.

YA: There are many unauthorized sequels of your works. Do  you think any of them are how you would have done a sequel?

KG: Not at all but I don’t fault them for it. It’s more a work inspired by than a sequel.

YA: Do you have any casting suggestions for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?

KG: Maybe Logan Lerman… he has such a lovely sense of wonder like my dear Mouse.