ther four of the most popular stories (originally series two) from the 16 titles in the 1980s classic Tales from Fern Hollow series. These gentle stories are written and illustrated by John Patience, with 32 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.

Characters in this collection include: Farmer Bramble, Sigmund Swamp, Horace Hoppit, Spike Willowbank, Polly Prickles, Parson Dimly, Lord Trundle, Mr Blodger.

• Sigmund's Birthday Surprise: Due to a mix-up with parcel labels, Sigmund Swamp accidentally receives a real live crocodile for his birthday. The creature escapes and causes pandemonium around the village.
• Parson Dimly's Treasure Hunt: When a hole appears in the church roof, Parson Dimly decides to run a treasure hunt to raise funds for the repairs. The whole village joins in and, naturally, there are one or two mishaps along the way. Who will the winner be?
• The Unscary Scarecrow: 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!
• Muddles at the Manor: 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 is unable to work, Lord Trundle hires Horace Hoppit and Spike Willowbank, who are on holiday from school, as temporary gardeners. Horace and Hoppit tackle their holiday job with energy and enthusiasm, but things don't quite go according to plan.

The map on the endpapers helped children find their way around the village and went on to appear in every single title in the Fern Hollow series. Children really loved the map and enjoyed pointing out where all their favourite Fern Hollow characters lived and all the stories took place. Naturally, we have retained the map in this new collection.

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 shared the books with their children back in the 1980s and 1990s are now enjoying them all over again with their grandchildren. Further collections are planned to incorporate all the original titles.