The Harvest Bookmark

Mice all over a blackberry bramble — up ladders, along branches, baskets full, working their way through the fruit while the leaves turn gold around them. It's the Brambly Hedge harvest, and it captures that particular autumn urgency of getting everything in before the weather turns.

This is Jill Barklem at her most absorbing. She spent five years researching before writing a word, working out how her mice milled flour, wove cloth and preserved fruit for the winter — the whole self-sufficient hedgerow economy, traced back to real British agricultural practice. When the first four books appeared in 1980, the Sunday Times Magazine called them the most research-crammed fantasy ever set before small children. You can lose a good five minutes to a single illustration, finding another mouse you hadn't noticed.

At 48 × 162mm with an orange ribbon marker, it lies flat in any book. A perfect small gift for a Brambly Hedge devotee, an autumn person, or anyone who finds deep satisfaction in a well-stocked larder.

Come and see the full Museums & Galleries range in the shop in Canterbury — there's always more on the shelves than we can fit online.

Key features

• Brambly Hedge artwork by Jill Barklem (1951–2017)
• Mice gathering the blackberry harvest, in Barklem's signature detailed watercolour
• Orange ribbon marker
• 48mm × 162mm
• Museums & Galleries, the British art-stationery publisher behind the V&A, Tate, Natural History Museum and British Museum ranges
• Flat enough to post inside a greetings card
• Perfect for Brambly Hedge fans, autumn and nature lovers, children and book club gifts

FAQ

• What is Brambly Hedge? A much-loved series of children's picture books by Jill Barklem, following a community of mice living in an English hedgerow. The first four titles were published in 1980 and the series has sold over seven million copies worldwide.
• Who was Jill Barklem? A British writer and illustrator (1951–2017), known for her extraordinarily detailed watercolours and the five years of research behind the series.
• What colour is the ribbon? Orange.
• What size is the bookmark? 48mm wide by 162mm tall.
• Is it suitable as a gift? Yes — lovely for children and adults alike, and light enough to post inside a card.