Sledges to the Rescue by Raymond Briggs, A Manderley Press edition 2026, introduced by Jessie Burton
Sledges to the Rescue by Raymond Briggs, A Manderley Press edition 2026, introduced by Jessie Burton
Sledges to the Rescue by Raymond Briggs, A Manderley Press edition 2026, introduced by Jessie Burton
Sledges to the Rescue by Raymond Briggs, A Manderley Press edition 2026, introduced by Jessie Burton

Pre-order | Sledges to the Rescue

£18.99

Pre-orders are now open for this title!

Advance orders of this book will be posted as soon as stock arrives in our office - we estimate late Autumn 2026.

Please note! If you are buying other titles at the same time and would like these straight away, it’s best to order those separately, otherwise they will all be processed together in late 2026 to save on postage costs for you and for us.

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Manderley Press is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Sledges to the Rescue - the third in a trilogy of short stories for children by Raymond Briggs. Along with The Strange House and Midnight Adventure (which we have already published, collected in one volume), all three stories are set in, and inspired by, Wimbledon inSouth London.

This brand new edition of another forgotten children’s classic is introduced by the international best-selling author Jessie Burton, who, like the author himself, also grew up in Wimbledon.

Raymond Briggs, who died in August 2022, was born in 1934, is perhaps best known for his books Father Christmas and The Snowman (which was adapted into the hugely successful film of the same name).

However, his very first books, in which he wrote and illustrated the content himself, were created in the early 1960s: Sledges to the Rescue was published in 1963 - a charming, nostalgic and beautifully illustrated children’s book featuring, and inspired by, the landscape of Briggs’ youth.

In this gentle tale of adventure and rescue, Ernie the milkman has an accident at Christmas, and it is up to the local children to save the day. This is a story of warmth and laughter, following the childish excitement of delivering milk in the snow and saving the community with Christmas spirit in abundance!

The new edition reproduces all 42 of Briggs’ original illustrations to perfection, and is wonderfully introduced by Jessie Burton.

*

Each book ordered through the website will be wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a matching silk ribbon, free of charge - and will also include an exclusive bookmark designed to complement the cover design.

The Strange House
The Strange House
£19.99
Manderley Press | The Children's Collection
Manderley Press | The Children's Collection
£90.00

Pre-orders are now open for this title!

Advance orders of this book will be posted as soon as stock arrives in our office - we estimate late Autumn 2026.

Please note! If you are buying other titles at the same time and would like these straight away, it’s best to order those separately, otherwise they will all be processed together in late 2026 to save on postage costs for you and for us.

*

Manderley Press is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Sledges to the Rescue - the third in a trilogy of short stories for children by Raymond Briggs. Along with The Strange House and Midnight Adventure (which we have already published, collected in one volume), all three stories are set in, and inspired by, Wimbledon inSouth London.

This brand new edition of another forgotten children’s classic is introduced by the international best-selling author Jessie Burton, who, like the author himself, also grew up in Wimbledon.

Raymond Briggs, who died in August 2022, was born in 1934, is perhaps best known for his books Father Christmas and The Snowman (which was adapted into the hugely successful film of the same name).

However, his very first books, in which he wrote and illustrated the content himself, were created in the early 1960s: Sledges to the Rescue was published in 1963 - a charming, nostalgic and beautifully illustrated children’s book featuring, and inspired by, the landscape of Briggs’ youth.

In this gentle tale of adventure and rescue, Ernie the milkman has an accident at Christmas, and it is up to the local children to save the day. This is a story of warmth and laughter, following the childish excitement of delivering milk in the snow and saving the community with Christmas spirit in abundance!

The new edition reproduces all 42 of Briggs’ original illustrations to perfection, and is wonderfully introduced by Jessie Burton.

*

Each book ordered through the website will be wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a matching silk ribbon, free of charge - and will also include an exclusive bookmark designed to complement the cover design.

Raymond Briggs CBE (1934–2022) was a much-loved illustrator, cartoonist and author, best known for his 1978 classic The Snowman. He produced a treasure trove of work, including Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes On Holiday, Fungus The Bogeyman, When The Wind Blows and Ethel & Ernest. These books have been translated into many languages and adapted into films, plays and animations for TV. The Snowman was first broadcast on Boxing Day 1982 and has been shown every Christmas since, along with the more recent The Snowman and the Snowdog. Graphic novel Ethel & Ernest tells the story of how his father, a milkman, met his mother, a lady’s maid, and how they continued to live in the same house for forty-one years. Raymond was honoured with a CBE for service to literature in the Queen’s 2017 Birthday Honours as well as a BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award, which celebrates the body of work of an author or illustrator who has made an outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

Jessie Burton was born in 1982 and grew up in Wimbledon, South London. She studied English at Oxford University before training at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Following a career as an actor she gained international recognition with her debut novel The Miniaturist, a bestselling historical novel set in seventeenth-century Amsterdam, which was translated into dozens of languages and adapted for television. Burton followed this success with further acclaimed and award-winning books including The Muse, The Confession and The House of Fortune. In addition to her novels for adults, she has written children’s fiction, including The Restless Girls and Medusa. As a non-fiction writer, she has written essays and reviews for The New York Times, Harpers Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Vogue, Elle, Red, Grazia and The Spectator. Harpers Bazaar US and Stylist have also published her short stories. Found In Translation, her personal essay on Brexit, appeared in Goodbye Europe, in 2017. Jessie’s first middle-grade novel for children, Hidden Treasure, was published in March 2025. She lives in South-East London with her family.


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