The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
It is such a joy to dive back into the world of Brambly Hedge with my child. And what a world it is, if house prices increased by 26% during lockdown, they would have increased 10-fold on the hedge. The community of mice are delightful, and the adults are patient, industrious and all work together to live the most marvellous lives, from building a stunning ice hall in a day for the winter ball (where they dance until dawn), to renovating an old cottage to surprise a family struggling to raise triplets in an unsuitable space. There is also adventure; trips to the high hills to deliver goods to neighbours in need; and journeys to the seaside to gather salt for the village. And there’s fun – in more than one story, they stop, all of them, to celebrate an occasion (such as Young Wilfred’s birthday) with a surprise picnic or a dance until they drop.
The tales are heartening and the pictures sublime. I read this aloud near nightly, by request, to my five- year-old who loves the soothing world of Brambly Hedge as much as me.
