Muddles at the Manor

A picture book from the ever-popular Tales from Fern Hollow series of 17 titles, richly illustrated in traditional style, for ages 3-93. Now back in print from the author/illustrator's (John Patience) own imprint, Talewater Press, this edition, published in 2021, contains the same story and illustrations as the original version.

Fern Hollow is a wonderful place to live. Ask Professor Sigmund Swamp or old Brock Gruffy to tell you about their lovely little village and they will talk all day and yet hardly have begun. They will tell you that Fern Hollow nestles at the foot of the trees of Windy Wood and that through the village runs the sparkling ribbon of the River Ferny. The animals of Fern Hollow are all good friends and neighbours, and if you are a stranger they will make you feel at home in next to no time.

In this title:

Mr Blodger, the gardener at Trundleberry Manor, decides to try a bit of topiary. It's all going very well until he falls off his ladder and breaks his leg.

"Because old Blodger was unable to work, Lord Trundle hired Horace Hoppit and Spike Willowbank, who were on holiday from school, as temporary gardeners. The first job Spike and Horace tackled was mowing the lawns. They managed to get the motor mower started quite easily, but stopping it was quite another matter."

This is one of the stories from original series two of the 17 titles in the 1980s classic Tales from Fern Hollow series. This gentle story, written and illustrated by John Patience, has eight detailed, colourful and cheerful double-page spreads depicting the animal characters of the village of Fern Hollow, tucked away somewhere in the countryside of Edwardian England. As the inhabitants of Fern Hollow go about their daily lives, there are small adventures to enjoy and little mishaps to overcome. Everyone lends a helping hand and there's always a happy ending - and usually a feast for everyone to share in celebration.

The map on the endpapers helps children find their way around the village and appears in every single title in the Fern Hollow series. Children really love the map and enjoy pointing out where all their favourite Fern Hollow Characters live and all the stories take place.

These stories of animal folk have an enduring charm. A generation of people who had the Fern Hollow stories read to them as children have now grown up and are buying the books to read with their own children, nieces and nephews. Parents who read the books with their children back in the 1980s are now enjoying them all over again with their grandchildren.

The charming Fern Hollow stories have remained popular since they were first published in 1980.