The Animals of Farthing Wood (HarperCollins Children's Classics)

by Colin Dann

Overview

Both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, The Animals of Farthing Wood is a classic story of animal adventure and the fight for survival.

‘We must all find a new home. Now – before it’s too late!’

Farthing Wood is being bulldozed, and there’s a drought. Fox, Badger, Toad, Tawny Owl, Mole and the other animals must band together and set off to a far-away nature reserve. Their journey is full of adventure and fraught with disasters, and the animals must work together to survive.

The Animals of Farthing Wood is one of the most popular animal stories in children’s literature and is still in print nearly 40 years after first publication.

This edition features cover art by award-winning illustrator, Sam Usher and special bonus contentl including a Q&A with Colin Dann.

‘The Animals of Farthing Wood always made me very happy’ – Alison Flood, Guardian

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008726621
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Series:	HarperCollins Children's Classics
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Colin Dann was born in Richmond in 1943. After leaving the local Grammar School he worked first for a large textile company before his real love – the world of books – brought him a job in publishing at William Collins in London. During this time, in odds hours at home, he wrote his first book THE ANIMALS OF FARTHING WOOD which was published in 1979 by William Heinemann.

It was an immediate success, winning the Arts Council of Great Britain’s National Book Award for Children’s Literature, and has been translated into sixteen languages. The book has never been out of print since first publication. Six sequels and one prequel have followed, as well as a major BBC animation series.

Colin has written many other animal stories including a trilogy about a pride of African lions. He is married and lives with his second wife Susie in a converted Oast House on the Sussex / Kent borders.

Editorial Reviews

‘The Animals of Farthing Wood always made me very happy’ – Alison Flood, Guardian

From the Publisher