Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a British writer best known for the children’s literature classics The Wind in the Willows and The Reluctant Dragon. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was raised with his siblings after the death of their mother by his grandmother in the village of Cookham in Berkshire. The roomy, dilapidated house called The Mount was set on spacious grounds in an idyllic setting with ample opportunities for boating and riverside rambles is thought to be the inspiration for the setting of The Wind in the Willows.  Prevented from attending Oxford by the cost, he went to work for the Bank of England in 1879 and rose through the ranks to become Secretary before taking early retirement in 1908 for health reasons. He married Elspeth Thompson in 1899. Their only child, Alastair, born a year later, evidenced a headstrong and wayward nature that inspired the character of Mr. Toad. He began to publish stories while in his 20’s, and published several collections in the 1890’s. Dream Days (1898) contains the classic The Reluctant Dragon.  The Wind in the Willows initially received a generally negative reception from critics, who were expecting more of the same from his earlier works. The public loved it, however, and it required numerous printings and the issuance of additional illustrated editions to keep up with the demand.