- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–11
- Adventure
By Ash, Oak and Thorn
Book 1 in By Ash, Oak and ThornView the full series
Three tiny, ancient Hidden Folk, once Guardians of the Wild World, wake to find their home destroyed and set off across the British countryside to discover whether any of their kind remain. A gentle, richly observed nature adventure in miniature.
- Best for7–11
- FormatIllustrated
- Length248 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr30 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Lyrical
Tone
- Warm
- Gentle
- Adventurous
- Cosy
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Moss, Burnet and Cumulus are Hidden Folk: tiny, ancient beings, only a hand high, who have lived quietly in the old ash tree at Ash Row for longer than anyone can remember. When their home is destroyed, the three set out on the biggest journey of their lives to find out whether any others of their kind still survive in a changing world. Their travels carry them through hedgerows and deep countryside and, eventually, into the roaring heart of a city, meeting the creatures of the wild along the way. Acclaimed nature writer Melissa Harrison brings her extraordinary eye for the natural world to her children's debut, weaving real British wildlife and folklore into a warm, cosy, quietly thrilling adventure in the tradition of The Borrowers and Brambly Hedge. It's a book to curl up inside, full of wonder, friendship and a deep love of the wild world on our doorstep.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A gentle illustrated chapter-book adventure that reads aloud beautifully to 7-10s and rewards confident independent readers of 8-11. Its calm pace, nature focus and warmth also give it genuine adult crossover appeal for family reading. Being a continuing story, it is best begun here at book one.
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- Best fit · 7–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–11
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Nature lovers
- Cosy reads
- Read aloud families
- Quiet adventures
Avoid if
- Wants fast action
- Reluctant reader
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in science
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The idea of ancient hand-high folk living hidden in an old tree, then braving the wild countryside and even a giant city, turns every hedgerow and puddle into an epic landscape. Moss, Burnet and Cumulus feel like real friends by the end.
- Secret world
- Adventure and freedom
- Friendship and belonging
Why parents love it
Melissa Harrison's countryside knowledge glows on every page, turning a gentle quest into a stealthy love-letter to British wildlife. The prose is beautiful, the pace calming rather than frantic, and it makes a perfect unhurried bedtime read-aloud you'll enjoy as much as they do.
- Great writing
- Nostalgia
- Educational for adult too
- Bedtime appropriate
In the series
By Ash, Oak and Thorn.
2 books · open the series →
About the author
Melissa Harrison.
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