Scholars of English, most specializing in children's literature, along with a few contributors from such fields as engineering and psychology, explore the role that the iconic children's novel has played in the history of children's literature, what social and historical issues it addressed, what cultural debates in attempted to intervene in, how it influenced readers beyond England and English, and how the author got so revered with only one book. Their topics include dialogic and carnivalesque qualities, a contemporary psychological understanding of Mr. Toad and his relationships, animal etiquette and Edwardian manners, locating Englishness within the commodity culture of the early 20th century, and the Chinese translation. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
