A lonely brown mouse finds a place to live and friends to share it with, but when disaster strikes, they all know just what to do.

All the characters in this story discover that being kind, sharing, caring and working together brings happiness.

Angela Wilson has an MA in education and drama and was the winner of the international Firebird poetry prize in 2012. She lives with her partner in Lytham St Annes in Lancashire. Having spent most of her life in the company of children, as a mother, grandmother, and teacher she is now dedicating her time to writing for them. The Little Wooden House is her first published story in rhyme.

Customer Reviews

5.0

6 reviews

Nina Bee

The Little Wooden House by Angela Wilson is a beautifully crafted picture book that provides an ideal resource for educators and parents supporting young children in Nursery, Reception, and Year 1. With its engaging rhyming verse and repetitive, predictable structure, the book perfectly complements the developmental needs of early readers and listeners, encouraging language acquisition, memory recall, and phonological awareness. The story follows a charming sequence in which a group of animals—a lonely brown mouse, a goggle-eyed frog, a long-legged hare, a furry fox, and finally, a huge sleepy bear—encounter a small wooden house in the forest. The narrative builds cumulatively, introducing each character with delightful rhythm and repetition. This structure invites children to join in, anticipate what comes next, and build confidence in their early literacy skills. The bear’s entrance—so large and heavy that he accidentally collapses the little wooden house—introduces themes of cause and effect, teamwork, and problem-solving. Rather than conflict, the story emphasizes friendship, cooperation, and inclusion, as all the animals work together to build a sturdier home. These social-emotional messages align seamlessly with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and Key Stage 1 expectations, supporting personal, social, and emotional development. Angela Wilson’s text is enhanced by age-appropriate, richly coloured illustrations that captivate young readers. The visual storytelling adds warmth and detail to each character, supporting comprehension and encouraging discussion. The expressive faces and whimsical presentation of the animals bring the story to life, making it equally engaging for independent exploration and shared reading. Overall, The Little Wooden House is a joyful and educational resource that supports multiple areas of the UK National Curriculum. Its blend of rhythmic language, rich illustration, and gentle moral themes makes it a valuable addition to any early years classroom or home bookshelf.
Neil Bedford

We loved everything about The Little Wooden House, from the story to the illustrations. It's a brilliant use of characters, with the bear being our three-year-old son's favourite. The use of emotion throughout the story also resonated with our son and helped show him that feelings and emotions are a normal part of life and that it's okay to express them. He felt sorry for the bear every time we read it! The story talks about friendship building and kindness, which are so important for children growing up. All in all, it's an excellent book that we would recommend a hundred times or more! Thank you, Angel, for writing and illustrating such a fantastic book!
Joy Holden

This is a wonderful children's book. Simply written in easy to read rhyme but offering so much opportunity for discussion. THE LITTLE WOODEN HOUSE allows children to observe how the appealing personified characters share, welcome and enjoy their differences. Angela Wilson has illustrated her book in beautiful jewel like colours. It deserves to be in any children's library. A gem.
Emily Edwards

Such a beautiful book! I shared this with a year 1 class at school and they loved it. So much scope for discussion with little ones about kindness, friendship, sharing and the power of working together as a team. The illustrations are bright, colourful and totally enchanting and the children adored acting out the story and bringing the various characters to life whilst I read. Our favourites were the huge roly-poly bear and the guitar playing long legged hare!
Natalia Bibby

What a delightful book filled with beautiful characters. Such a joy to read and to share with little ones. Angela has created such a wonderful story that I have loved reading and have shared with friends and neighbours. Can definitely recommend!
Sonia Cartmell

Angela shared her wonderful book with us at a special story telling session at our nursery. We have a copy of The little wooden house at our nursery and the children ask for it to be read to them on a regular basis. We have loved exploring the story and creating activities based on it too! It is very engaging and a wonderful book to read to the children.