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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 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.)

"Your work lives on strong in my house hold. We have made Fern Hollow our model for everyday life in our human world!"

Will Michael, "The CT Naturalist" (click to see Will's Youtube channel)

There are lots of second-hand (used) copies of John's books, including Tales from Fern Hollow, for sale online. Of course, we'd like people to buy our new copies but it can be difficult to spot them amongst all the others. To make this easier, we list below:

  • all 17 individual titles in the Tales from Fern Hollow series, with links to order paperback or hardback versions from your local Amazon.
  • 4 hardback compilations (4 of the individual stories per book) with links to order from Amazon, from other online retailers, or from bookstores by asking for the ISBN shown.

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

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.

  • Paperback:
  • Hardback:
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers (ask for ISBN 978-1916164666).
  • eBook

 

Original Series 1

Brock the
Balloonist

Brock the Balloonist cover

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops & other retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-9162769-7-0)
  • eBook

Mr Rusty's
New House

Mr Rusty's New House front cover

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-9162769-8-7).

The Brass Band Robbery

 

The Brass Band Robbery front cover

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-9162769-9-4).

Sports Day
 

Mr Rusty's New House front cover

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-8384498-0-3)

Adventures in Fern Hollow

Adventures in Fern Hollow)

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)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-8384498-1-0).

Sigmund's
Birthday Surprise

Sigmund's Birthday Surprise (Tales from Fern Hollow)

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-8384498-2-7).

Parson Dimly's
Treasure Hunt

Parson Dimly's Treasure Hunt (The Seasons in Fern Hollow)

  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 978-1-8384498-3-4).

Muddles
at the Manor

Muddles at the Manor (Tales from Fern Hollow)

  • Paperback
  • Hardback - available to pre-order (release date 30 November 2021)
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 9781838449872).

 

 

Happy Ending Stories from Fern Hollow

Happy Endings Stories from Fern Hollow cover

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)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback - pre-order (release date 7 December 2021)
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 9781838449889).

Mrs Merryweather's Letter

Mrs Merryweather's Letter (Tales from Fern Hollow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback - pre-order (release date 24 December 2021)
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 9781838449896).

Granny Bouncer's Rescue

Granny Bouncer's Rescue (Tales from Fern Hollow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback - pre-order (release date 04 January 2022)
  • Amazon
  • or from bookshops and other online retailers
    (ISBN: 9781739851804).

The Midsummer Banquet

The Midsummer Banquet (Tales from Fern Hollow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • or from bookshops and other online retailers
      (ISBN: 9781739851811).

Favourite Stories from Fern Hollow

Favourite Stories from Fern Hollow

 

All four stories above collected together into this 80-page hardback book:
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
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • From bookshops and other online retailers ask for ISBN: 9781739851828.

The Floating Restaurant

The Floating Restaurant (Tales from Fern Holow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • From bookshops and other online retailers ask for ISBN: 9781739851835.

The Mysterious Fortune Tellers

The Mysterious Fortune Tellers (Tales from Fern Holow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • From bookshops and other online retailers ask for ISBN: 9781916276901.

Spike and the Cowboy Band

Spike and the Cowboy Band (Tales from Fern Hollow)
  • Paperback
  • Hardback
    • Amazon
    • From bookshops and other online retailers ask for ISBN: 9781739851859.

Bedtime Stories from Fern Hollow

Bedtime Stories from Fern Hollow

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

Gnomes and 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").

Front cover
Click to see larger images
Front cover of The Adventures of Edward Tall and Teddy Small and Friends
A page from Teddies Fly Away
A page from Teddies Afloat
A page from Teddies on the Runaway Train
A page from Teddy Small, Behave Yourself!

A Trip to Granny Rumbletummy's

A Trip to Granny Rumbletummy's Rainbow's end series by John Patience

Available in paperback

Click here to order from Amazon

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").

Order from Amazon

Front cover
Click to see larger images
Front cover of Fairy Tales & Mythical Creatures of the British Isles, retold & illustrated by John Patience
The Coblynau
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.
Tam Lin
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.
The Children of Lir
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.
The Weaver and the Dragon
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.

 

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").

Front cover
click to see larger image
Front cover of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, retold & illustrated by John Patience. The cover illustration consists of a central square box containing a snowy, nighttime scene of a girl dressed in old-fashioned winter clothing, riding on the back of a giant white bear, with a full moon in the sky above. Above the central square box is a decorative panel with the image of a sun at top left corner and a moon at top right corner. Inside the panel is the text East of the Sun and West of the Moon, illustrated by John Patience. At the bottom of the central square box is another, smaller decorative panel with the words An Old Tale from the North.
Pages 8-9
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.
Pages 12-13
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.
Pages 28-29
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.
Pages 40-41
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.