It's been some years since we homeschooled, even longer since my girls were young enough to truly appreciate picture books. But there are a few books that seem to transcend time and appeal to all ages, and Brambley Hedge is one. The illustration above is from Autumn Story, which is my favorite of the seasonal series.
Autumn Story finds the mice in Brambley Hedge working tirelessly to finish the harvesting aheaad of a storm. Primrose sincerely meant to help, but being a bit of a daydreamer, she somehow manages to find herself in Chestnut Woods, and to her dismay finds that she is lost. The story continues on with describing the heroic efforts of her friends and family as they search to find and bring her home. It's such a sweet story, as is every book in the series, but even more than the stories what makes these books truly special are the illustrations.
Jill Barklem is the author and illustrator of this delightful series, who sadly, passed away in November of 2017. But there is a lovely website where you can learn more about her as well as meet all the mice! There's even a lovely Autumn Story coloring page!
You can pick up a copy of the books for around $10.00, but way back when, we were first introduced to them through the library (although I almost immediately added them to our personal collection). So if you don't want to purchase them you might check with your library, but to make it even easier there's also a lovely reading of Autumn Story on You Tube.
Also on You Tube is the television series which aired in the UK on BBC in 1997. I discovered these a few years ago, but the quality wasn't very good. So I was very delighted to find that someone else has posted them as well, and the picture is clear and crisp. I plan to watch it one day this week, with a nice cup of tea.
I was also delighted to find that Cobble Hill Puzzle Company has released all four of the books in the seasonal series as 1000 piece puzzle. I purchased the Summer Story puzzle back in June, but it was such a busy season I never got around to piecing it together. And then just last week I purchased the Autumn Story Puzzle, and this time I plan to be very intentional about getting it done. Isn't it just lovely?
The Brambley Hedge books are truly delightful, and as I said, I still enjoy them today and read each book in it's season. If you've never read them I highly recommend them, and the video, and the puzzles! Personally, I can't get enough!
Until then!
❊
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2 comments:
Oh my, this is so wonderful! I have the Spring story and a teacup that my parents bought me when they made a trip to England back in 2000.
I just love this series, and I would LOVE to have the Autumn and Winter tea cups, but they are a little pricey if you want the complete set. Maybe one day! :)
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