Quentin Blake 10 Picture Book Set 2 The Wild Washerwomen, The Bear's Winter House

Quentin Blake 10 Picture Book Set 2 brings together ten picture-book stories, including The Wild Washerwomen and The Bear's Winter House. The collection ranges from comic mishaps to animal adventures, with each tale centred on a clear, self-contained premise.

Across the set, you will find washerwomen who walk out on a dreadful employer, a bear whose careful preparations are tested by unexpected house guests, and a river picnic interrupted by noisy frogs. Other stories follow a miller, a tabby cat and a group of mice; a heron and a crane navigating a complicated proposal; and two friends setting off on holiday with balloons and an unusual extra. The set also includes journeys by raft and on foot, a carpenter’s ambitious boat-building, and a horse with remarkable stage-ready skills.

Included titles

• The Wild Washerwomen
• The Bear's Winter House
• The Bear's Water Picnic
• Mouse Trouble
• The Heron and the Crane
• Beatrice and Vanessa
• Sixes and Sevens
• Rumbelow's Dance
• Mr. Nodd's Ark
• The Young Performing Horse

Key details

• Ten-book picture book set
• By Quentin Blake
• Includes The Wild Washerwomen and The Bear's Winter House
• Includes ten individually titled stories

Synopses

The Wild Washerwomen

Seven unhappy washerwomen have far too much washing and a dreadful laundry owner, Mr Balthazar Tight. They decide to go on strike and enjoy their freedom, until seven woodcutters arrive, determined to teach them a lesson. The encounter may not go as the woodcutters expect.

The Bear's Winter House

A bear gathers moss, logs and branches to build a winter house, while the other animals laugh at his efforts. When winter arrives, the bear is warm and the others are left in the cold, so he invites them inside. Their excitement keeps him awake, but by spring he finds a solution.

The Bear's Water Picnic

The bear organises a river picnic for his friends on a perfect day. Frogs croaking among the lily pads interrupt the peace, and the group moves to a quieter part of the lake. When they become stuck on a sandbank, the frogs are the only ones who can help.

Mouse Trouble

A grumpy miller buys a large tabby cat to deal with mice, but the cat is too unfit to catch even one. When the miller threatens to drown him in anger, the mice step in, having grown unexpectedly fond of the tabby.

The Heron and the Crane

Crane lives at one end of a swamp and Heron at the other. Feeling lonely, Crane decides to ask Heron to marry him. Proposing proves far more difficult than he expects.

Beatrice and Vanessa

Beatrice the ewe and Vanessa the nanny-goat spend their days together in the same field. On a dull day, they decide to go on holiday, taking balloons and something more surprising. Both turn out to be useful along the way.

Sixes and Sevens

Barnaby sets off on a raft, with instructions from his mother to stop at each village on the way to Limber Lea. He gathers a wild and surprising group of passengers as he travels. The question is whether he can get everyone to Limber Lea without mishap.

Rumbelow's Dance

Rumbelow heads off to visit his grandparents, feeling so happy that he begins to dance. As he goes, the many different characters he meets join in. The dancing continues all the way to his grandparents.

Mr. Nodd's Ark

Mr Nodd, a keen carpenter, makes wooden creations for his family, from an umbrella to bicycles and a romper-suit. When he builds a huge boat in the garden, it seems too much, until a forecast warns that serious floods are coming. The Nodd family set off to discover the boat’s purpose.

The Young Performing Horse

Twins Vicky and Bertie buy a horse at an auction, and discover he is a Young Performing Horse. He learns sums at school with them and performs alongside them in London as they try to make their fortune on the stage. His talents appear to have no end.