The classic children's book series · since 1985

Welcome back
to Foxwood.

Harvey Mouse, Rue Rabbit and Willy Hedgehog have delighted readers in over thirty languages. Created by Cynthia & Brian Paterson — and ready for a new generation.

Explore the Stories Licensing Opportunities

Licensed & distributed worldwide by Stegmann Licensing

Watercolour artwork from The Foxwood Smugglers: a bustling seaside railway station with mouse and rabbit families boarding a red steam train

From The Foxwood Smugglers · original artwork by Brian Paterson

Enter the village

01The Story of Foxwood

Some villages you visit.
This one stays with you.

Foxwood Tales was created by husband-and-wife team Brian and Cynthia Paterson — Brian painting the world in loving watercolour detail, Cynthia giving it words. Between 1985 and 1998 they wrote eight adventures set in the little village of Foxwood, where Harvey Mouse, Rue Rabbit and Willy Hedgehog find mysteries behind every hedgerow.

The books became modern classics: published in more than thirty languages, with over 1.3 million copies sold, and an extensive licensing programme that carried Foxwood into homes around the world — from fine china to nursery textiles.

Painted in the great English picture-book tradition of Beatrix Potter, every page rewards a second look. Parents who grew up in Foxwood are now reading it to their own children — and that is exactly the kind of brand that lasts.

Watercolour artwork: a rabbit family, a mouse and a young hedgehog toasting bread by a stone fireplace while dreaming of a snowy journey
From The Foxwood Kidnap — teatime by the fire, and dreams of a snowy journey.
Storybooks
8
Languages
30+
Copies sold
1.3M+
First published
1985

Loved by two generations of readers — and ready for the next.

02Meet the Characters

Three friends.
Endless adventures.

Every Foxwood tale follows the village's three inseparable friends — each one instantly recognisable, each one a child's mirror.

Harvey Mouse in his polka-dot bow tie, studying a large open book at a desk

Harvey Mouse

The clever one

Bow tie straight, whiskers twitching. If there is a plan to be made — or a book that holds the answer — Harvey has already found it.

Rue Rabbit with a red neckerchief reading an open book in the study

Rue Rabbit

The brave one

First through the gate and first to volunteer. Rue's red scarf can be spotted wherever in Foxwood something exciting is about to happen.

Willy Hedgehog leaning over an open book beside his friends

Willy Hedgehog

The kind one

Soft-hearted under all those prickles. Willy would share his last blackberry — and in Foxwood, that counts for everything.

…joined by a whole village of postmen badgers, shopkeeper moles and seafaring otters — a cast built for storytelling far beyond the page.

03The Books

Eight tales.
One beloved village.

The complete Foxwood Tales collection by Cynthia & Brian Paterson — picture books that reward a thousand bedtimes.

Cover artwork of Robbery at Foxwood: a badger shopkeeper and two mice in a village store, framed by an apple garland

1985 · The one that started it all

Robbery at Foxwood

A theft in the village store, a trail of clues — and three small friends determined to put things right.

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Cover artwork of The Foxwood Treasure: a hedgehog and a mouse discover secrets between barrels in a candlelit cellar

1985 · Mystery

The Foxwood Treasure

An old map, a dusty cellar, and a secret that has waited a very long time to be found.

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Cover artwork of The Foxwood Kidnap: three friends hurry through falling snow past a shuttered house, framed by holly and pine cones

1986 · Winter adventure

The Foxwood Kidnap

When someone dear disappears in the snow, Harvey, Rue and Willy set out to bring them home.

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Cover artwork of The Foxwood Regatta: animals aboard a rowing boat with a striped canopy, framed by forget-me-nots

1986 · Summer on the river

The Foxwood Regatta

Boats, bunting and best-laid plans — a race the whole village will never forget.

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Artwork from The Foxwood Smugglers: rabbits fishing from a weathered seaside jetty with a lighthouse pier in the distance

Seaside mystery

The Foxwood Smugglers

A seaside holiday takes a thrilling turn when strange goings-on stir along the shore.

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Cover artwork of The Foxwood Surprise: a grandmother hedgehog serves pudding by the fireplace to little ones in an armchair, framed by holly and apples

A festive tale

The Foxwood Surprise

The most wonderful time of year in Foxwood — with one very special surprise still to come.

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Artwork from The Magic Sleigh: friends crossing a snowy stone bridge towards a golden castle among fir trees

A moonlit journey

The Magic Sleigh

A sleigh ride through the winter woods — to a place none of them ever dreamed existed.

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Cover artwork of The Secret Valley: a hedgehog grandmother pours tea in a cottage garden, framed by wild roses

A summer discovery

The Secret Valley

Beyond the hedgerows lies a hidden valley — and a summer the three friends will remember forever.

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For retail, wholesale, translation and co-edition enquiries, please contact Stegmann Licensing — the exclusive worldwide partner for Foxwood Tales.

04Licensing

A world that has
already travelled.

Foxwood Tales is a proven international property: eight books, a beloved cast, a consistent hand-painted world — and a licensing heritage spanning ceramics, textiles, stationery and more. Now available for its next chapter.

Rights

Translation and territory rights for the complete eight-book catalogue, managed centrally with clean, transparent contracts.

Publishing

New editions, formats and co-editions with international publishing houses — from board books to collected treasuries.

Merchandising

Nursery, homeware, plush, apparel and gifting — a warm, giftable world with a proven product track record.

International Distribution

One dedicated partner for retail and wholesale worldwide — reliable logistics, consistent pricing, real availability.

Partnerships

Retail exclusives, media and heritage collaborations that share Foxwood's values — quality, warmth and imagination.

05Distributed by Stegmann Licensing

One partner.
Every market.

Stegmann Licensing is the exclusive worldwide licensing and distribution partner of Foxwood Tales. Every bookshop order, every co-edition, every product licence runs through one experienced team — so partners get clear answers, fair terms and fast decisions.

  • Exclusive worldwide mandate

    A single, accountable point of contact for all commercial matters — no fragmented rights, no grey zones.

  • Retail & wholesale distribution

    Reliable supply for bookshops, chains and distributors, with dependable margins and marketing support.

  • Licensing with brand care

    Every partnership is measured against one question: does it make Foxwood more loved, or merely more visible?

Become a partner [email protected]

07Contact

The village gate
is always open.

Whether you are a bookshop placing a first order, a publisher interested in translation rights, or a licensing partner with a big idea — we would love to hear from you.

All enquiries — licensing, trade & press
[email protected]
Distribution
Stegmann Licensing — exclusive worldwide partner for Foxwood Tales

We reply within two working days — usually faster.