The Water Vole family have moved into the bottom of the garden. Bert, the father of the family, enjoys gardening and growing food for the Garden Tribe and loves the bugs and insects that help fertilise it. But when the neighbouring beetles keep him awake at night, Bert dedicates his time to building them a cosy new home of their own. Includes ecological notes and instructions for building your own garden bug house.

Perfect for:

• Readers of all ages who enjoy nature-inspired stories with felt characters
• Families, children, and adults exploring gardening, insects, and wildlife
• Encouraging curiosity, environmental awareness, and outdoor activities
• Storytime or reading with charming animal characters and gentle lessons about cooperation
• Anyone interested in interactive elements like building a garden bug house
• Part of the Garden Tribe, celebrating eco-friendly storytelling and connection to nature
• Learning about ecology, biodiversity, and the natural world through storytelling

Karin Celestine lives in a small house in Monmouth, Wales. In their garden there is a shed and in that shed is another world. The world of Celestine and the Hare. Karin taught children about art, chemistry, numbers, crafts and magic, but they are always drawn back to the Shed, where they bring to life creatures of all kinds using only wool, observation and the power of imagination.Karin runs excellent craft activities and events in schools. Their books in the Celestine and the Hare series can be taught across the curriculum, with topics covering literacy, numeracy, PSHE/citizenship, ICT and geography.

'Karin Celestine’s wonderful, life-affirming books encourage us all to keep in touch with and to nurture the playfulness, exploration and hope of childhood. These are books that make the world a better place.' Zoe Toft, Playing by the Book'

We’ve never found a book so small that is so warm and so heartbreakingly profound. The creatures in the delightful little tribe have lives that revolve around the tiny pleasures that the world can offer – from having honey made by bees in the garden, to the joy of making a new friend and giving them the warm home that they need. With so many awful things in the world, and so much hate, these books are about the huge power of simple kindness. If the next generation grows up knowing these stories, then there is hope.' Kenilworth Books

'I appreciated the morals and gentle nature of the book - that acts of kindness towards others makes them happy, and that music makes us smile and evokes memories. It also points out that to achieve success, we have to keep practising. [...] I am sure that, on some level, my granddaughter picked up on the morals, so all in all, a delightful little book both for a child to read for themselves, or to listen to as a sweet, bedtime story.' Linda Evans, Felt Matters magazine