In Loving Boughs by M. Morgan Warren

The Story of Stumper the Red Squirrrel and the Woodland, written and illustrated by M. Morgan Warren

The orphaned Red Squirrel, Stumper, has some very special friendships: an unusual Crabapple Tree, Pip the Raccoon kitten, Belle the young Rabbit, two humans called Gwyneth and Norrie, and of course the wise little Wren! This is their story and also that of a small tract of woodland which is in danger of being destroyed for development. The book tells the mystical tale of how all the beings of the Wood - animals, trees, and benign Guardian Spirits - unite to transcend Time itself:  by the invocations of the Trees to bring back the Ancient Spirits of the Animals who once lived in Stumper’s Wood, the Woodland is saved and the animals’ homes are preserved.

The book begins in the Spring with Stumper as an infant Squirrel and follows the Wheel of the Year, illustrating each season and its spiritual significance in the lives of the animals and plants. Beautifully illustrated, the story is suitable for children of eight years and up. Many adults will enjoy it also. Each book is signed and numbered.

Morgan Warren, a writer and Nature artist whose work is in the collections of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has based this book on her own  interactions with the wild red squirrel she called Stumper. A beautiful Crabapple Tree, an important Druidic symbol for love, inspiration and immortality, stood next to her studio. She has given them both and the other beings of the Wood personalities and voices. Her voice is in many ways, that of the Crabapple’s, which has some very fascinating and important things to say.