It’s my stop on the blog tour for The Happy Hedgerow by Elena Mannion & Erin Brown and I have five hedgerow facts to share thanks to Elena.
About the book:
Somewhere in the folds of the countryside, Old Oak lives content and fulfilled in his hedgerow by the barley field.
When the farmer pulls up the Far Hedgerow one day, Old Oak is dismayed. Can he care for all the fleeing birds?
The field is now too open, and the wind and rain are carrying away the soil! Hope is finally returned when a new farmer comes to plant saplings one cold winter’s morning.
Five Facts About Hedgerows
Hedgerows are strips of densely planted trees, shrubs and other plants that form a ‘living border’ between fields. Here are some things you may not know about them…
- The largest natural habitats in the UK and Ireland, hedgerows are very important for wildlife and biodiversity.
- Hedgerows give shelter to insects, birds and other animals, and are critical for many threatened or rare species, such as the dormouse.
- They have lots of different fruits and flowers growing in them and help to protect precious soil and defend against flooding.
- There are around 500,000 miles of hedgerow in the UK (which is less than half what existed before the Second World War).
- In Devon, it’s possible that about one quarter of hedgerows are over 800 years old!
To learn more about hedgerows and their vital role in nature, visit hedgelink.org.uk.
The Happy Hedgerow was published by Pikku Publishing, 2 September 2021
ISBN: 978-1999639891
About the author
Raised in rural Hertfordshire, Elena Mannion spent most of her childhood outdoors, playing in the fields, fishing for sticklebacks and making dens! After many years in London, she returned to Hertfordshire. Reading and writing stories for her children has led to The Happy Hedgerow, her first book. She hopes that all children will grow up wanting to protect nature, especially those in cities whose heritage it is.
About the illustrator
Erin Brown is a Northern Irish illustrator who lives and works on the beautiful island of Jersey. After graduating university with a bachelors degree in Fine Art, a passion for stories and children’s books took hold and she completed a diploma in Illustrating Children’s Books with the London Art College. She combines her love for hand drawn lines and traditional techniques with the flexibility and freedom of adding colour digitally. She has worked with clients such as Oxford University Press, Egmont Publishing and Little Tiger Press. Her love of stories comes from her Grandad who lived by the sea and was always ready with a tale or two (and a biscuit). When she’s not working in her tiny studio, she can be found baking something overly sweet, exploring the forests and cliff paths of Jersey or down at the sea shore, watching the tide roll in.
You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram or via her website.
Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the tour!
Picture Book Perfect 
I have a copy of this lovely picture book too and think the traditional feel of it is perfect for the subject matter. The illustrations are gorgeous aren’t they!
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Yes, gorgeous illustrations. It reminded me of picture books of my childhood.
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