![Talewater Press logo](01graphics/logos/Talewater_Press_trans_75h.png)
Talewater Press
Talewater Press is an imprint of Patience Design Ltd, under which we are republishing English language editions of John Patience's back catalogue of illustrated children's books. Some of these 1980s and 1990s children's books have been out of print for a while.
Have you been trying to find a new copy to replace a favourite Fern Hollow book you lost? If so, you will find it here. (If you're not already a fan you can get to know 1980s children's book series Tales from Fern Hollow here.)
There are lots of second-hand (used) copies of John's books for sale online, including Tales from Fern Hollow and Rainbow's End. Of course, we'd love you to buy our new editions but it can be difficult to spot them amongst all the others. We've made it easy for you by listing them all below.
Please note: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases from Amazon.
The Tales from Fern Hollow series
The Seasons in Fern Hollow
40th Anniversary Edition
![Brock the Balloonist cover](01graphics/books/sales_links/40th_anniversary_edition_cover255h.jpg)
The one that started it all, now in a new 64-page 40th Anniversary Edition, in paperback, hardback and eBook (on some devices)..
64 pages of detailed, colourful and cheerful illustrations introduce us, through the seasons of the year, to some of the animal characters who went on to appear in the four series that followed through the 1980s and 1990s.
Original Series 1
Brock the
Balloonist
Mr Rusty's
New House
The Brass Band Robbery
Sports Day
Adventures in Fern Hollow
![Adventures in Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/Adventures_in_Fern_Hollow_250h.jpg)
All four stories above collected together into this 80-page hardback book:
Brock the Balloonist; Mr Rusty's New House; The Brass Band Robbery; and Sports Day.
- Amazon
- To order from bookshops and other online retailers, ask for ISBN 978-1916112599
Original Series 2
The Unscary
Scarecrow
![The Unscary Scarecrow (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/Unscary_Scarecrow.jpg)
Sigmund's
Birthday Surprise
Parson Dimly's
Treasure Hunt
Muddles
at the Manor
Happy Ending Stories from Fern Hollow
All four stories above collected together into this 80-page hardback book:
The Unscary Scarecrow; Sigmund's Birthday Surprise; Muddles at the Manor; Parson Dimly's Treasure Hunt
- Amazon
- To order from bookshops and other online retailers, ask for ISBN 978-1916112544
Original Series 3
The Tortoise Fair
![The Tortoise Fair (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/tortoise-fair_255h.jpg)
Mrs Merryweather's Letter
![Mrs Merryweather's Letter (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/mrs_merryweathers_letter_255h.jpg)
Granny Bouncer's Rescue
![Granny Bouncer's Rescue (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/granny_bouncers_rescue_cov_255h.jpg)
The Midsummer Banquet
![The Midsummer Banquet (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/The_Midsummer_Banquet_255.jpg)
The Tortoise Fair; Mrs Merryweather's Letter; Granny Bouncer's Rescue; and The Midsummer Banquet.
- Amazon
- To order from bookshops and other online retailers, ask for ISBN 978-1916164659
Original Series 4
Castaways on Heron Island
![Castaways on Heron Island](01graphics/books/sales_links/castaways_255h.jpg)
The Floating Restaurant
![The Floating Restaurant (Tales from Fern Holow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/floating_resto_255h.jpg)
The Mysterious Fortune Tellers
![The Mysterious Fortune Tellers (Tales from Fern Holow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/mysterious_fortune_tellers_255h.jpg)
Spike and the Cowboy Band
![Spike and the Cowboy Band (Tales from Fern Hollow)](01graphics/books/sales_links/spike_cowboy_band_255h.jpg)
All four stories above collected together into this 80-page hardback book:
Castaways on Heron Island; The Floating Restaurant; The Mysterious Fortune Tellers; and Spike and the Cowboy Band.
- Amazon
- To order from bookshops and other online retailers, ask for ISBN 9781916276918
Rainbow's End - magical gnome village!
Rainbow's End is a tiny magical village in Nutshell Wood. It can only be seen by humans when a rainbow is in the sky. At other times, it is invisible to everyone except the gnomes who live there and the woodland creatures. The gnomes of Rainbow's End are jolly little folk who are always busy. Lots of exciting and interesting things happen in the village.
Rainbow's End Treasury, Volume I
This is a compilation of the four stories in the first Rainbow's End series of picture books.
Full colour, hardback, 80 pages of text and illustrations, 4 stories with double-page spread illustrations, and illustrated title pages. Size: 20.96 cm wide x 27.94 cm tall (8.25" x 11").
Click here to view larger pictures
Rainbow's End paperbacks
The stories in the Treasury above are also available as individual paperbacks:
Full colour, paperback, 26 pages of text and illustrations Size: 21.59 cm wide x 27.94 cm tall (8.5" x 11").
A Trip to Granny Rumbletummy's
Click to see larger imagesRainbow's End Treasury, Volume 2
This is a compilation of the four stories in the second Rainbow's End series of picture books.
Full colour, hardback, 80 pages of text and illustrations, 4 stories with double-page spread illustrations, and illustrated title pages. Size: 20.96 cm wide x 27.94 cm tall (8.25" x 11").
The cover
Click to see larger images
Teddy Bears!
The Adventures of Edward Tall and Teddy Small and Friends
Edward Tall and Teddy Small are two teddy bears who live in the window of Mr Meadows’s toy shop. When the shop is closed, they get up to all sorts of fun and mischief with their toy shop friends. If you like teddy bears, you are going to love Edward Tall and Teddy Small! Four stories for young children, with bright, colourful illustrations by the author, John Patience.
Full colour, hardback or paperback, 82 pages of text and illustrations, 4 stories with double-page spread illustrations, and illustrated title pages. Size: 21.59cm wide x 21.59cm tall (8.5" x 8.5").
Click to see larger images
Fairytales
Fairy Tales & Mythical Creatures of the British Isles
Princes, princesses, dragons, wizards, giants, fairies, brownies, leprechauns are amongst the amazing characters which make this magical collection of stories from all around the British Isles a treat for children of all ages.
Full colour, hardback, 188 pages of text and illustrations, 15 stories and 10 mythical creatures, with mostly double-page spread illustrations, and illustrated title pages and contents pages. Size: 21.59cm wide x 27.94cm tall (8.25" x 11").
Click to see larger images
![A picture of the text and illustrations on pages 18-19, describing the Coblynau. The title Coblynau and text appear on the left-hand page and on the right-hand page, an illustration of coblynau seen in a Welsh mine: a strange little man dressed in old-fashioned clothing and with a tall, pointed hat. He is holding a lump of Welsh gold in his right hand and has a pick over his left shoulder. Next to him is a wheelbarrow filled with rocks.](01graphics/books/sales_links/British_Fairy_Tales/255h/18-19.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 42-43 from the story Tam Lin. On the left-hand page is an image of the angry-looking Fairy Queen, with text below. The right-hand page is a nighttime scene in mostly blue and purple hues in which the heroine, Janet, holds on tight to a huge lion into which form the prince has been changed by the Fairy Queen.](01graphics/books/sales_links/British_Fairy_Tales/255h/43-43.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 60-61, from the story The Children of Lir. The image spreads across both pages. On the left-hand page a box containing the text of the start of the story overlays the image of the stepmother, Aoife, standing on a high rock at the edge of a lake, in a dramatic pose. She is pointing a magic wand at her husband's four children (on the right-hand page) and chanting a magic spell to turn them into beautiful swans. One of the children is already transformed completely to a swan and the other three are partly changed, with swan wings but human bodies.](01graphics/books/sales_links/British_Fairy_Tales/255h/61-61.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 156-157, from the story The Weaver and the Dragon. The illustration spans both pages with a box containing text on the left page. On the right-hand page (with its tail extending to the left page) a huge bronze-coloured dragon is in flight over mountainous, treed landscape, with a rather frightened-looking weaver riding on his neck. The weaver is dressed in 'armour' made of kitchen pots and pans. The infuriated dragon is breathing fire.](01graphics/books/sales_links/British_Fairy_Tales/255h/156-157.jpg)
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
A traditional Norwegian folk tale with all the ingredients of a classic fairy story: a huge white bear, a bewitched prince and his wicked step-mother, witches, trolls and a heroine who must undertake a seemingly impossible quest. Full colour, 44 pages of text and illustration. Size: 21.59cm wide x 27.94cm tall (8.5" x 11").
![A picture of the text and illustrations on pages 8-9. On the left-hand page there is a panel containing the story text. To the right, on a plain pale pink ground, is the image of a young girl wearing a long skirt of brown, flowing material, with the toes of pointed red shoes peeping out of the bottom, and a patterned blouse with leg of mutton sleeves. Her reddish brown hair is flowing behind her as she rides on the back an enormous, white bear.](01graphics/books/sales_links/east_of_the_sun/255h/8-9.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 12-13. There is a panel of text on the left-hand page. To the right is a long, wooden table laid with golden dishes of many types of delicious looking fruit. The young girl, dressed in old-fashioned thick winter clothing - including a thick brown coat, shawl and hat - is staring in amazement at the feast. To the right of her is a huge white bear, standing on its hind legs, gesturing towards the food.](01graphics/books/sales_links/east_of_the_sun/255h/12-13.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 28-29. There is a panel of text on the left-hand page. At the bottom of the panel the young girl stands with her back to the viewer, arms held out in front, looking towards a huge head in the sky, surrounded by clouds - the North Wind.](01graphics/books/sales_links/east_of_the_sun/255h/28-29.jpg)
![A view of the text and illustrations on pages 40-41, showing an extraordinary scene of Princess Long Nose, the prince's stepmother and four trolls of various sizes, trying to wash a dirty white shirt in a large pot of sudsy water.](01graphics/books/sales_links/east_of_the_sun/255h/40-41.jpg)