By Ash, Oak and Thorn cover art

By Ash, Oak and Thorn

Moss, Book 1

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

By Ash, Oak and Thorn

By: Melissa Harrison
Narrated by: Sam Crerar, Melissa Harrison
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

The breath-taking children's debut from acclaimed nature writer and Costa Award-shortlisted novelist, Melissa Harrison - a tale of the rich, wild world and all its wonder.

Three tiny, ancient beings - Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, once revered as Guardians of the Wild World - wake from winter hibernation in their beloved ash tree home. When it is destroyed, they set off on an adventure to find more of their kind, a journey that takes them first into the deep countryside and then the heart of a city. Helped along the way by birds and animals, the trio search for a way to survive and thrive in a precious yet disappearing world....

Cover illustration by Lauren O'Hara 2021

©2021 Chicken House Books (P)2021 Audible, Ltd
Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Heartfelt Feel-Good Funny
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Stubborn Light of Things cover art
Paddy's Pot of Gold cover art
When the Sea Turned to Silver cover art
The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig cover art
10-Minute Stories From Greek Mythology: The Iliad and The Odyssey cover art
A Very Special Friend cover art
So B. It cover art
A Snake Falls to Earth cover art
The Shadow Moth cover art
Willodeen cover art
Orion's Messenger cover art
The Tale of Truthwater Lake cover art
A Girl of the Limberlost cover art
Bedtime Short Stories for Kids with Great Morals cover art
My Life with the Chimpanzees cover art
The Reluctant Dragon cover art

What listeners say about By Ash, Oak and Thorn

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    98
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Magical Story

So beautifully told and written. Do you believe in fairies ? Enjoy this magical story of little folk

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love it 😍


I love it and it is so addictive in a good way 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽you will love 💗 it



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional!

Should be read to all children in school so not one misses out! Highly recommended to adults as well!! And then to be shared and discussed and hopefully acted upon. Wonderful narration. Now embarking on the sequel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Wonderful and Meaningful Story

I absolutely loved this story and found it so beautifully written and moving. The narration and production were equally wonderful too.

This book can very much be enjoyed by children and adults alike as the writing is brilliant and the themes within the story important for everyone.
Even though there are very definite themes around the environment and how humans treat the world around them, it’s never preachy but instead moving and inspiring. A magical tale told in a very tangible and real way so you believe that there might just be hidden folk in a garden near you and that it’s worth looking after that garden just in case.

Can’t wait to read the next book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Vivid and enchanting

Attracted by the cover illustration and title, as an adult listener I really enjoyed this. It's an important, relevant story beautifully told, and it would be lovely to share with a child. There are also some perfectly chosen natural sound effects - e.g. real bird song - and some gentle music to mark chapters. It's beautifully done and wonderful to escape into. The only thing I didn't like was one very brief comment on a character's body shape and food intake which felt wrong and out of place in an otherwise generous and thoughtful book where the characters encourage each other NOT to judge by appearances. Otherwise it seems like the perfect book for encouraging engagement with 'the wild world' and also gentle understanding of each other.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A new favourite series and author

If you loved The Borrowers, or The Little Grey Men you’ll love this story of the Hidden Folk. If you lived the Animals of Farthing Wood, or The Wind in the Willows you’ll love the animals herein.

This audiobook has been artfully brought together. It’s hard to say which is the best part. The story is magical and fresh. The narration is natural and carries the story well. Then there’s music and the sounds of nature just enough to round out the experience and pull you into the world inhabited by Cumulus, Burnet, Moss, and Sorrel.
It’s so magical I’m glad there’s a second book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

For children of the Wild World, of all ages

Having loved B.B.'s The Little Grey Men & Down the Bright Stream for over forty years, I am so glad to have found this wonderful, timely gift of hope. Its important message is delivered with gentleness & love. Children of all ages will discover new friends here & may shed a few tears along the way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartwarming

Absolutely lovable and heartwarming.
PLEASE, read/play this to your children. You will love the story, too.
I went searching for the second book even before finishing this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous.

I absolutely loved this, a beautiful story that really understood and showed how magical the natural world we live in is. The narration was perfect too.

I particularly loved how the animals were gendered but none of the Hidden Folk were; it took quite a while to even notice this, it was done so subtly. It's not commented on at all, just gently done through clever omission of any gendering words, leaving the reader able to relate to the Hidden Folk in whatever way suits them best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable!

This story has a great story to tell. I am buying this plus book 2 for my grandson's. The story covers the importance of looking after ourselves and our world.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!