Zoe the Rottweiler with Mayo the horse, Mo the goat, Mabel the cow and Margot the hen, bunting flying over Merevale Creek Farm

Zoe, a gentle hero

Big heart. Quiet courage.
One very misunderstood Rottweiler.

A four-book seasonal series for newly-confident readers (ages 6-9), set on a small British farm where prejudice is gently undone and kindness travels further than force, and a blue butterfly is always somewhere in the picture. Every chapter is anchored to a retold Aesop fable, 48 in all, mapped inside each book. Pick one off the shelf, or read free sample chapters first.

☀️ Summer · Book 1

Zoe and the Great Summer Jubilee

A young Rottweiler arrives at Merevale Creek Farm. Every animal sees a big, scary dog. Across twelve chapters and one storm-struck Jubilee, her actions, never her words, change every single one of them.

"A delightful modern fable that educates as well as entertains. An excellent classroom resource, themes of kindness, teamwork, honesty, perseverance and community woven seamlessly into the story."

Rachael Whitehouse, ARC reviewer

Ages 6-9 12 chapters ~16,000 words Summer Jubilee KS1 / KS2 Out 2026

★ Lead: Zoe · seeds: Mabel

📖 Sample chapter Buy now

🦉 The Fable Map

🕐 Ticking clock

The Great Summer Jubilee, 12 days away in Chapter 1, counting down to the parade in Chapter 12.

Story theme

Prejudice and belonging. Zoe is judged by appearance; her actions, not words, change every animal.

Ch	Title	Source Fable	Lesson
1	The New Arrival	The Lion and the Mouse	No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted
2	The Lost Lantern	The Boy Who Cried Wolf	Honesty builds trust
3	The Great Race	The Hare and the Tortoise	Patience and persistence beat haste and overconfidence
4	The Stubborn Gate	The Sun and the Wind	Gentleness and warmth achieve what force and pressure cannot
5	The Clever Solution	The Crow and the Pitcher	When the obvious approach fails, think differently
6	The Prize Stall	The Dog and His Reflection	Greed and envy cost more than they ever gain
7	The Sour Berries	The Fox and the Grapes	Pretending not to want what you can't have is easier than admitting failure
8	The Tug of War	The Bundle of Sticks	Together we are stronger than any of us alone
9	The Goose's Warning	The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg	Patience preserves what impatience destroys
10	The False Accusation	The Shepherd and the Wolf	Prejudice does not require evidence
11	The Great Storm	The Oak and the Reed	True strength is not the refusal to bend
12	The Jubilee Parade	The Sun and the Wind (reprise)	Leadership is not taken

Coming Autumn 2026

🍂 Autumn · Book 2

Mabel and the Merevale Creek Mystery

The creek is changing, and only Mabel has noticed. Patient, unhurried, and braver than anyone knew, the farm's quietest cow leads everyone to the answer while Zoe, for once, steps back.

Ages 6-9 12 chapters ~16,000 words Harvest Supper KS1 / KS2 Out 2026

★ Lead: Mabel · seeds: Squashy

📖 Sample chapter

🦉 The Fable Map

🕐 Ticking clock

The Harvest Supper, 12 days away, while the creek level drops steadily each chapter.

Story theme

Quiet courage and belonging. Mabel notices what nobody else will and must act on what she knows before the farm's water supply fails.

Ch	Title	Source Fable	Lesson
1	The Changing Creek	The Ant and the Grasshopper	Those who pay attention to small changes are better prepared than those too busy to notice
2	The Empty Nest	The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse	There is wisdom in knowing where you belong, but also risk in never questioning whether that place is changing
3	The Fallen Apples	The Milkmaid and Her Pail	Don't count your chickens, but don't assume what went wrong is worthless
4	The Muddy Path	The Dog in the Manger	Don't prevent others from using what you refuse to enjoy
5	The Borrowed Feathers	The Jay and the Peacock	Borrowed glory doesn't last, what you are without decoration is enough
6	The Silent Warning	The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing	A genuine warning should not be judged by who gives it
7	The Deep Pool	The Frog and the Ox	Don't puff yourself up to match something larger than you
8	The Shared Load	The Belly and the Members	Every part of a community depends on every other
9	The Bitter Harvest	The Farmer and the Viper	Kindness does not always protect you from consequences, but keep being kind
10	The Patient Stone	The Crow and the Eagle	Use your own gifts, not another's
11	The Last Clearing	The Mice in Council	It is easy to propose a solution, it takes courage to carry it out
12	The Harvest Supper	The Farmer and His Sons	The treasure is in the digging itself, the real harvest is belonging earned through work

Coming 2027

❄️ Winter · Book 3

Squashy and the Winter Gathering

A small hedgehog who has always been on the outside finds his way in, not by becoming someone else, but by finding the place where she already belongs. The Winter Gathering, and the warmth of being known.

Ages 6-9 12 chapters ~16,000 words Winter Gathering KS1 / KS2 2027

★ Lead: Squashy · seeds: Chewy the Owl

🦉 The Fable Map

🕐 Ticking clock

The Winter Gathering, preparations underway as winter deepens, with the farm's lantern supply threatened by ice, flooding and a missing carol singer.

Story theme

Self-contained independence vs. belonging. Squashy helps without being asked; her arc is learning that belonging means choosing to stay.

Ch	Title	Source Fable	Lesson
1	The Cold Morning	The Dog and the Wolf	Welcome is earned by making warmth available, not by forcing the door
2	The Empty Nest	The Ass and the Lapdog	Know your own gifts and work within them
3	The Frozen Bridge	The Peacock and the Crane	Appearances mislead, a plain truth from a plain source is worth more
4	The Warmest Stall	The Traveller and the Bear	A friend who stays when they could leave is a different kind entirely
5	The Broken Store	The Oak and the Reeds	There is a knowledge that only comes from having had no fixed shelter
6	The Long Night	Hercules and the Waggoner	Put your shoulder to the wheel first, then call for help
7	The Missing Carol	The Lark and Her Young Ones	What matters is not who might help, but who actually will
8	The Fox at the Feast	The Fox and the Crane	Hosting someone well means hosting them as they are
9	The Coldest Night	Androcles and the Lion	Small kindness in a quiet moment returns in the most desperate one
10	The Patient Stone	The Traveller and His Dog	Movement is not the same as progress
11	The Last Thing	The Quack Frog	The right knowledge applied from the right angle is everything
12	The Winter Gathering	The Ugly Duckling	She did not have to become something else, she had to find where what she already was belonged

Coming 2027

🌱 Spring · Book 4

Chewy and the Spring Awakening

An owl who has only ever watched from the highest branch comes down to the ground. The Spring Fair, the swelling creek, and the difficult, necessary skill of landing.

Ages 6-9 12 chapters ~16,000 words Spring Fair KS1 / KS2 2027

🦉 The Fable Map

🕐 Ticking clock

The Spring Fair, being organised below while Chewy watches from above, deciding whether to come down and be part of it.

Story theme

Perspective vs. participation. Chewy can see everything from height but has never landed. Her arc is learning that living requires coming down.

Ch	Title	Source Fable	Lesson
1	The First Landing	The Eagle and the Jackdaw	Know the difference between rising and arriving
2	The Old Name	The Fox and the Crow	Simple warmth offered honestly asks for nothing, and is harder to deflect
3	The Mud and the Sky	The Stag at the Pool	What you overlook in yourself may be exactly what is needed
4	The Spring Fair Announced	The Two Pots	Know your own nature, but do not mistake unfamiliarity for fragility
5	The Flooded Path	The Wolf and the Crane	Help freely given deserves acknowledgement
6	The Highest Branch	The Grasshopper and the Owl	Coming down is the harder skill, and the more necessary one
7	The Borrowed Light	The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts	Belonging to everywhere is belonging to nowhere
8	The Fox at the Fair	The Fox Without a Tail	When advice is framed to someone's advantage, examine the angle
9	The Spring Creek	The Dove and the Ant	What you save when it seems small returns when it matters most
10	The Ground Level	The Horse and the Ass	The small burden shared early is lighter than the one carried alone after
11	The Fair Day	The Cock and the Pearl	The greatest worth is often not in what looks most impressive from a distance
12	The Spring Awakening	The Swallow and the Other Birds	Living requires landing, even knowing the nets are there

Big heart. Quiet courage.One very misunderstood Rottweiler.

Zoe and the Great Summer Jubilee

Mabel and the Merevale Creek Mystery

Squashy and the Winter Gathering

Chewy and the Spring Awakening

Big heart. Quiet courage.
One very misunderstood Rottweiler.