The Unscary Scarecrow

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:

Farmer Bramble's crop is being eaten by crows so his children make a wonderful scarecrow to frighten away the pesky birds. The only problem is, the scarecrow just isn't scary enough. This calls for drastic action!

As Farmer Bramble went out to begin his day's work, he was singing a little song -

Fern Hollow is the place to be,

The leaves are green on every tree.

The sky is blue, don't need a brolly,

And I'm a farmer, round and jolly.

The little song came to an abrupt end as Farmer Bramble noticed a flock of big black crows in his field, all greedily gobbling up the wheat.

Can you guess what Farmer Bramble's clever solution to the problem might be?

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 appeared 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.