The Secret Staircase

Brambly Hedge #5

by Jill Barklem

When the winter blues take hold of the mice residents of Brambly Hedge, Primrose and Wilfred think of the perfect way to cheer things up after finding a collection of antique costumes.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Christmas, Fantasy, Short Stories

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 1983

About the author

Jill Barklem (1951-November 15, 2017) was a British writer and illustrator of children's books. Her most famous work is the Brambly Hedge series.

After an accident when she was thirteen, Jill was unable to take part in PE or games at school and instead developed her talent for drawing and art. On leaving school, she studied illustration at St Martin's in London. She became a full-time illustrator. She spent five years on research before she started to write her first stories about the mice of Brambly Hedge.

Reviews

[Sem · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could live anywhere, I think I might choose Old Oak Palace.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1980, an English author and artist named Jill Barklem released four miniature picture-books about a close-knit community of hedgerow mice, all living, working and celebrating together. The four titles, one for each of the seasons - Spring Story , Summer Story , Autumn Story , and Winter Story - were an immediate hit, with their charmingly detailed illustrations and engaging characters and stories, and won a devoted coterie of fans. Three years later, in 1983, Barklem released this fifth title, in which Primrose Woodmouse and Wilfred Toadflax discover a secret and long forgotten "apartment" at the top of Old Oak Palace, while searching for a place to rehearse for the recital they are to give for the great Midwinter Ball.

How I wish I had discovered these books - and especially The Secret Staircase! - as a young girl! I would have adored them, and most likely would have read them over and over again. How thrilling, to find a hidden staircase! How delightful the hidden apartment, with all its promise of secret play, would have seemed! How I would have loved the costumes that Primrose and Wilfred discover, the settings for their adventures, and the entire cozy world being depicted! The great baronial hall would have been a particular treat, I think. Even encountering these Brambly Hedge books for the first time as an adult, I am still charmed. Highly recommended to younger readers with a taste for animal fantasy, as well as to anyone who enjoyed the earlier books about this adorable murine community!

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about Jill Barklem's books is the illustrations. You could spend hours poring over the immense detail of the little houses, the "apartment complexes" etc. In this particular story I did notice that the scale of the plants used to decorate for the "Midwinter" celebration is necessarily off; a fieldmouse can hide in ivy, it would be enormous by comparison. But that's Barklem's magic, she makes you believe it, see it and experience it.

I love that the mice never do anything without they take snacks!
Highly recommended for reading with a child you love, or the child within.

[Rachel]

Read this charming little book to my niece, Aurora. She got a set of 4 Brambly Hedge books for Christmas. I intended to read all of them over our family get together, but so many people, and littles, and food, and games, and naps, and things.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Σε κάποια επόμενη ζωή, εύχομαι να είμαι ένα μικρό ποντικάκι που μένει σε μια τεράστια βελανιδιά, φτάχνει μαρμελάδες και παίζει. Υπέροχη εικονογράφηση!

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how charming this little tale is. But what is truly captivating are the intricate illustrations, even an adult can get lost in them and fill with childlike wonder just looking at them. A true classic from my childhood, so happy to have found it again.

[Catie]

Recommendation on Beyond the Pages BookTube Channel - 12/17/2017

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this author when our kids were little but I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. Now I want to read the first four books, about the four seasons. Jill's gorgeous illustrations remind me of Beatrice Potter's and Tasha Tudor's. The story is lovely too. A good book to read on a cold winter's night.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m still waiting for the Spring Brambly Hedge book, so I read this one. I did not enjoy it as much as the Summer, Autumn, and Winter books. The illustrations weren’t quite as intricate or beautiful, and these books are all about the illustrations. The stories don’t do that much for me; the illustrations are outstanding. This is also a “season” book as the events take place at midwinter. I’ve loved miniature items my whole life, especially as a kid, so the paintings are wonderful. I thought I might like this story better than in those other 3 books because of the title. The Secret Staircase is reminiscent of Nancy Drew’s The Hidden Staircase or even The Secret of the Old Clock, and it piqued my interest, but I just didn’t feel it was that compelling. It was ok though and given that I’m not a picture book age person, it would perhaps appeal more to young children than to me. Also, most kids love huge things or (as in these books) tiny things.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, I LOVED stories about secret attics and staircases and was disappointed never to have found any such treasures. So you can imagine the delight of reading about Primrose and Wilfred's great discovery. Jill Barklem's art is especially exquisite in this book.

[Holly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. Very similar to Beatrix Potter. I would recommend the whole series.

[gillian]

this brought me so much peace

[Caleb Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me: 5 stars! So you liked it?!
C3: Can we do the "Primrose gets lost one next?"
Me: Yes. Did you have any other thoughts about that book?
C3: I liked all of the pages. All of it was my favorite part.

[daydreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favourite children book of all time.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning detailed illustrations. Such a cosy read!

[Koalanen]

Tää oli lapsena yksi suosikeistani, koska kukapa ei haluaisi löytää salakäytäviä ja sieltä kaikkea ihanaa tilpehööriä!

[Merel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lovely!

[Drululu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonito.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Shala Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the story, think Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit stories with mice and without the sometimes surprising lapses into violence that forcibly remind you that Potter wrote in a different cultural context. In Potter's world, Mr. MacGregor has a distressing habit of stalking through the pages taking potshots at the cast with his shotgun. That sort of thing doesn't happen in the Brambly Hedge.

So a charming story, but it was the illustrations with their incredibly rich detail that won my heart. Small wonder each drawing took Jill Barklem three months to complete. (Each book in the series is the product of two years' effort.)

My favorites are the ones that dissect the trees where the mice make their homes. I could spend hours staring at all the little rooms the mice have carved out of the tree, complete with tiny furnishings, winding staircases, and halls. The Four-Year-Old, on the other hand, would prefer to spend those hours staring at the illustration of the room at the top of the Secret Staircase, with its spider webs, columns, detailed tapestries, mice statues, and especially the little suit of mouse armor standing guard on the side.

(For a longer review of this series, visit my blog Caterpickles.com or see my review of the Complete Brambly Hedge here on Goodreads.)

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primrose and Wilfred had decided to recite a poem for the Midwinter's celebration. The problem was that they needed someplace to practice. Primrose's mother, Lady Woodmouse, suggested they use the attic to practice. Exploring the attic turned out to be unexpected and just so much fun.

The book is rated for children ages 3-6, but should say ages 3-63. This is a beautifully written and illustrated children’s story, the Midwinter celebration has the atmosphere of a Christmas Yule log and decorations. This is easy to read as a bed time story and the rooms at the top of the staircase are wonderfully described. What a find, for the mice of the story and for the reader wanting a way to connect to their kids. I love the poem the mice kids recited, beautiful.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brambly Hedge books are very nice, but out of print. I got them from the library then tracked down some of them used. They are lovely stories about a community of mice who always seem to end up having some sort of celebration revolving around lovely food that they have all helped gather. Most of the books also center around the whole community helping one of them through some sort of crisis or difficulty. In this regard, it very much is a picture of what the Church should be for one another.

[Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this book ever since receiving it for my sixth birthday. What child doesn't relish the thought of a secret staircase from one's home leading up to the cobwebbed but still grand court of one's ancestors, with old costumes to dress-up in as well! I spent quite a while knocking walls in our rented house after reading this.

[Megan Melindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking back on it, I think this story was my favourite of the Brambly Hedge stories. I blame this story for my love of poking about in old attics. As always, you find yourself lost in the illustrations. It makes you long for that joy of discovery in an old house, of finding the ultimate place to hide away on a rainy afternoon.

[[ J o ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I assume that this is where my love for staircases came from. A mildly impressionable child would not hesitate to revel in the fact that, unlike almost all other books I've known, the secret staircase remains a secret with the children.

[Ramona Cantaragiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two little mice find a hidden section in their house filled with lots of beautiful things and they plan to keep it a secret place where they alone will have fun.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've loved the other Brambly Hedge books that I've read so far, but this one struck two wrong notes with me:

One, the concept of a secret staircase and hidden rooms that no one knows about but are completely stocked as if someone had just stopped living there abruptly. As an adult reader, I can't help but wonder what happened. Did they just lose the key generations ago? But doors can be broken down. Did they shut it all up for a reason? Without a backstory explaining it, I'm prone to assume something dark or depressing. Nothing in the presentation of the pictures or wording was dark, so a young child would probably not be disturbed by any of that, but I was.

Two, the story ends with the young mice keeping their discovery secret from the older mice. Many of my favorite stories from my childhood involve some sort of secret place that the children discover and is kept hidden from the adults but in those either 1) something bad happens and the adults come find the children (Mandy), 2) the children end up telling the adults (The Secret Garden, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), or 3) the events are fantastical (more so than just anthropomorphized animals) and so there is a degree of separation of reality from the story (The Castle in the Attic, Five Children and It). Is it just because I'm a parent now and scared by the potential danger of secrets? Maybe. But there does seem to be something different in the way this secret place is handled.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Among the many stories I've shared with my daughter this year, 'Brambly Hedge' by Jill Barklem is a captivating gem. While I typically reserve my Goodreads list for my reads, avoiding the inundation of children's titles, this series might break that tradition next year. It's rare to find a series that delights both parent and child alike, but 'Brambly Hedge' has done just that. Its charm and whimsy have not only captured my daughter's imagination, making it her favourite series, but it has also enchanted me, marking it as the most charming series I've read this year. 'Brambly Hedge' is a heartwarming journey through a world rich in detail and wonder, a must-read for parents and children alike. And the illustrations!!! Perfection, I love the cutaways.
Of the series my ranking would be:

Poppy's Babies
High Hills
Spring Story
Sea Story
Winter Story
Secret Staircase
Summer Story
Autumn Story

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth book in the Brambly Hedge series, following the four season books, I appreciate that Barklem maintained continuity of time, with this story also bring set in winter. It’s also a holiday story—they call it winter solstice and not Christmas, the mice having their own traditions, but there are hints illustrations do include red and green decor and Christmas trees.

The plot isn’t wholly unique—two mice children find a hidden door in the attic. But it is a perennial plot for a reason, kids love the idea of finding a secret room, and what’s behind this door may be the most impressive of any children’s book I’ve read.

Once again, the illustrations are gorgeous and detailed. I’m surprised Barklem isn’t more well known in the US.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I love the Brambly Hedge books. Think Beatrix Potter’s animal stories and illustrations but with greater detail and more intricate illustrations. Oh! The illustrations! I could read dozen of these books for those alone.

My daughter said this was her favorite of the books, at least recently. So I read it when she asked me to. The cutaway’s of the home in the tree was wonderful! And who hasn’t dreamt of coming on a secret staircase leading to beautifully furnished rooms, abandoned long who but still containing treasures of a gilded age? It was a quick and detailed adventure during midwinter with well-dressed and we’ll-mannered mice.