The Adventures of Portly the Otter audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Untold tales from The Wind in the Willows: a year in the life of the young otter Portly, with full-colour pictures by Polly Dunbar.
Short answer: for The Adventures of Portly the Otter audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). No check could be confirmed from a named source on either side. The hardback is illustrated in full colour, but reviewers call the pictures a bonus rather than the heart of the story, so for now either format works.
Either works
Nothing could be confirmed either way, so both the illustrated hardback and the author’s reading work.
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Confidence 50%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Read by | M.G. Leonard (the author) | M.G. Leonard (the author) |
| Length | 4 hours 7 minutes (4h 7m), unabridged | 4 hours 7 minutes (4h 7m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 2h 45m | about 2h 45m |
| At 2x | about 2h 4m | about 2h 4m |
| Audio publisher and date | Farshore, 26 March 2026 | Farshore, 26 March 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £12.06 on Audible UK | $16.97 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £8.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Farshore hardback, 224 pages, full colour, 26 March 2026 | No US print edition found | |
| Listener rating | Performance 5.0 from 1 rating | Performance 5.0 from 1 rating |
This is the only recording found, sold on both stores. No PDF companion is listed on the Audible UK product page, and no music or sound effects are mentioned.
Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Adventures of Portly the Otter
M.G. Leonard
- Genre
- Children’s fiction
- Illustrated by
- Polly Dunbar
- First published
- 26 March 2026
- Length
- 224 pages, full colour
- Age
- About 8 to 10
- On audio
- 4 hrs 7 mins, read by the author
- Shortlisted
- Waterstones Book of the Year 2026
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
No listening or reading criterion could be confirmed from a named source, so neither format is favoured. Confidence is 50%.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- M.G. Leonard, Farshore, 2026, 4h 7m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- None
- What you miss
- Polly Dunbar’s full-colour illustrations (no PDF listed)
What this book actually is
The Adventures of Portly the Otter is M.G. Leonard’s book of untold tales from The Wind in the Willows, illustrated in full colour by Polly Dunbar. It follows the young otter Portly through a year of four seasons, with cameos from Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole. Books for Keeps suggests it for ages 8 to 10.
It is on the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist. It contains mild peril.
The case for reading it
Polly Dunbar’s full-colour pictures are a big part of the hardback, and a child reading along gets them on every spread. Books for Keeps also recommends it as a shared read-aloud.
Reviewers treat the pictures as a bonus rather than the heart of the story, though, so they do not count towards print here.
The case for listening to it
The author reads it herself, and at 4 hours 7 minutes it is a manageable listen for a car journey or bedtimes, about 2 hours 45 minutes at 1.5x.
Books for Keeps calls the writing “cosy and readable”, which suits listening.
The audiobook in detail
Farshore publishes the unabridged recording on Audible UK and US (26 March 2026), read by M.G. Leonard at 4 hours 7 minutes.
No PDF of the illustrations is listed, so listeners do not get Polly Dunbar’s pictures.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards the hardback if your child likes to look at pictures while the story is read. Lean towards audio for car journeys and bedtimes when nobody can hold the book.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
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Alice in Wonderland
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Letters from Father Christmas
An illustrated book with a verdict for audio.
Is This a Plum?
Also on the Waterstones shortlist.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who reads The Adventures of Portly the Otter audiobook?
M.G. Leonard, the author.
How long is the Portly the Otter audiobook?
4 hours 7 minutes, or about 2 hours 45 minutes at 1.5x.
Is it abridged?
No, it is listed as unabridged.
How many pages is The Adventures of Portly the Otter?
224, in the Farshore hardback.
What age is it for?
Books for Keeps suggests 8 to 10.
Is it a sequel to The Wind in the Willows?
It is a new book of untold tales set in the world of The Wind in the Willows, by M.G. Leonard rather than Kenneth Grahame.
Do you need to read The Wind in the Willows first?
No. The Guardian calls it a perfect introduction to The Wind in the Willows.
Who illustrated it?
Polly Dunbar, in full colour.
Should I read or listen?
Either works, at 50%, a close call. Nothing could be confirmed on either side.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US (including the UK product page), Amazon UK, HarperCollins (Farshore), Books for Keeps (May 2026) and the Guardian (as quoted on Audible UK).
- Verdict last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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