The Garden Gang: Penelope Strawberry and Roger Radish

There were 14 book in total in the very unusual Garden Gang series which began in 1979.  If you grew up with these books, your probably remember them very fondly.  But I was a bit too old for them and found the garish felt pen illustrations ugly and wrong.  My main reason for disliking these books as a child was simply envy.  The writer, Jayne Fisher, was just 9 years old when the first of the Garden Gang books was published and she continued to write for Ladybird until she was thirteen.  So she was a child who was younger than me and a celebrated Ladybird author/illustrator!  It should have been me!

No one know what happened to Jayne after the age of thirteen.  I mean, someone must, but they aren’t telling.  I have reason to believe she’s alive and well and still writing/drawing and being creative.  But she prefers to do it her way.  Fair enough.  Good luck to you Jayne.  I grew out of my resentment by the time I left school.  I think your books are brilliant and I know they were an inspiration to so many children.

This matt copy of Penelope Strawberry and Roger Radish, 1979, is in fair condition.  Some unobtrusive pen marks to the covers (see photo) and inside there’s cosmetic damage to the first text page and title page.  A good reading copy. The book dates to the 1early 1980s and has an original price of 60p on the back.