How Brave Is The Wren

How Brave Is The Wren How brave is the wren is a travelling book shop.

We stock beautifully-crafted illustrated stories and picture books created by authors and illustrators that appeal to the young and the young at heart.

✏️ Pencil’s Best Story Ever ✏️ is a thrilling (and silly) adventure, as told by Pencil (with help from Carly Gledhill) a...
14/06/2026

✏️ Pencil’s Best Story Ever ✏️ is a thrilling (and silly) adventure, as told by Pencil (with help from Carly Gledhill) all about their friends. Pencil has an exciting story to tell, but it seems their characters have other ideas.

🌿 Aardvark Day 🌿 is a book of poetry by zoologist Victoria Gatehouse, all about our beautiful natural world. With fun facts, illustrations, and poems about frog superpowers, fairy armadillos, weeds and peat, Aardvark Day is the perfect book of poems for any nature lover.

🐯 Taking The Long Way Home 🐯 by Jake Hope and Brian Fitzgerald follows Zarah and her brother on their way home from school with their uncle Jerome. Though the walk is tiring and makes Zarah’s feet hurt, Uncle Jerome has a way of making anything happen on the long way home.

What do all these books have in common? We’re running school events with all of their lovely authors as part of our Word Play festival! Catch Carly Gledhill, Victoria Gatehouse and Jake Hope at your school this week!

Creative Writing WorkshopSat 6th June9.30am - 10.30am£10pp Ages 7+We’ve got a handful of places left for this Saturday’s...
05/06/2026

Creative Writing Workshop
Sat 6th June
9.30am - 10.30am
£10pp Ages 7+

We’ve got a handful of places left for this Saturday’s creative writing workshop, where we’ll be working out the back stories of the characters created at Ben Sadlers workshop (see second slide) what are their names, and all the important stuff like their favourite flavour crisps? and what amazing, terrible (or boring) things they’ve been up to. So if you fancy writing a story for any of them, join us on Saturday where Catherine O’Flynn will be on hand to help sift out all the details.

The portraits pictured were created last Saturday at workshop the portraits and stories will be on display together at the shop during Word Play week.

See the link in our profile to book tickets

I spent a truly inspirational day listening to Zoulfa Katouh talking about her new book The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue. A...
04/06/2026

I spent a truly inspirational day listening to Zoulfa Katouh talking about her new book The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue. About a girl who looses her ability to see in colour when her mother dies, struggling to fit in as the only Muslim girl at an exclusive high school in America, she finds her mom’s old sketchbook and turns her focus to making it to art school with surprisingly magical outcomes!

Zoulfa talked about the need to reclaim the name Jihad and choosing to use it for her main character, about how the inspiration for her first book came from people mistakenly assuming that she was a refugee due to a lack of knowledge and people only hearing the headlines. About the power of books and personal stories to help connect with people from all walks of life

Made me think a lot about my own lack of knowledge growing up, but hopefully by engaging in people’s stories we can learn more.

She also talked about her love of K-POP 😂

Was truly lovely to see young people giddy with excitement to meet an author. Thanks to librarian Rumena and for inviting me to sell books.

We have some signed copies in the shop!!
Hard back edition £16.99

Picture Book Appreciation Society #2Friday 12th June 7pm – 8pmTickets £5 ppJoin us as we throw open our doors to the se...
04/06/2026

Picture Book Appreciation Society #2
Friday 12th June 7pm – 8pm
Tickets £5 pp

Join us as we throw open our doors to the second ever Picture Book Appreciation Society event!!!

Last years inaugral Picture Book Appreciation Society was sooo much fun, i can’t believe it’s taken a year to do it all again, so here we go…

We’re inviting picture book enthusiasts to join us for an evening discussing and celebrating the best in illustrated books. This year we’ll be joined by Pablo & Splash creator Sheena Dempsey to share her favourite books.

So if you’re a grown up who loves picture books then come along, grab a drink from one of our neighbours .york.rd and join us for a picture book chit chat.

This is a very last minute announcement so please help us by spreading the word.

For more details and to book see the link in our profile.

Creative Writing WorkshopWith Catherine O’FlynnSat 6th June£10 per childrecommended for ages 7+Calling all 7-12 year old...
30/05/2026

Creative Writing Workshop
With Catherine O’Flynn
Sat 6th June
£10 per child
recommended for ages 7+

Calling all 7-12 year olds who love making up stories and poems. Come along and join in these relaxed sessions where the emphasis is on encouraging creativity and having fun with words rather than on grammar and spelling.

Each stand-alone session is led by children’s author Catherine O’Flynn centres around a different fun theme. This months is an extra special one as you’ll be creating the background stories to our mystery portraits created at Ben Sadlers workshop.

The stories and portraits will be on display at the shop during Word Play week 8th - 13th June.

For more details and to book tickets see the link in our profile.

ART CLUB SPECIALPortrait workshop w/ Ben Sadler9.30 - 11am Sat 30th MayTickets £10pp / Recommended Ages 7+Calling all bu...
23/05/2026

ART CLUB SPECIAL
Portrait workshop w/ Ben Sadler
9.30 - 11am Sat 30th May
Tickets £10pp / Recommended Ages 7+

Calling all budding artists, this is a very special opportunity to pick up some top painting tips from an actual artist, we’ve invited Ben Sadler to delver a special Art Club for us next Saturday 30th May. You’ll have fun creating portraits of imaginary people inspired by Ben’s own work.

It’s recommended for ages 7+ but ask if you have an aspiring portrait artist younger than this. This is a drop off workshop so parents / carers are not required to stay but welcome to. For further details and to book tickets find the link in our profile.

HALF TERM ART CLUB with AOIFE DOOLEYWED 27th MAY 11amFREE!!Ages 5+How exciting is this? we get to run an art club specia...
13/05/2026

HALF TERM ART CLUB
with AOIFE DOOLEY
WED 27th MAY 11am
FREE!!
Ages 5+

How exciting is this? we get to run an art club special with author and illustrator Aoife Dooley!!! Join us this half term for an interactive workshop inspired by Aoife’s action packed graphic novel series SQUID SQUAD starring Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin squirting sea bunny—two mischievous best friends who just can’t help causing chaos in the deep blue sea.

The workshop is free, you can also select a ticket to pre-order a book which can be signed on the day. The event will last approx 1 hr and is suitable for ages 5+, Parents / carers must be in attendance at the event, please select workshop tickets for all people attending.

You can find the link in our profile or pop into the shop to book.

How Brave Is The Wren
4 York Road, B14 7RZ

The Book Of BirdsBy Robert MacFarlane and Jackie MorrisLimited edition Indie exclusive £35 plus p&pNearly half of the wo...
08/05/2026

The Book Of Birds
By Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris
Limited edition Indie exclusive
£35 plus p&p

Nearly half of the world’s bird species are in decline. As our planet gets warmer, our skies get quieter. The Book of Birds is a love letter to endangered birds - you have to love something to save it.

Playful and poetic, this is a bird guide with a difference. Robert MacFarlane’s prose and Jackie Morris’s artwork show you not only how to identify birds, but to identify with them.

We have a handful of the indie exclusive signed copies left, each comes with a numbered print. Find the link in our bio or pop into the shop.

ToastBy Yu AkinagaWhat do you like on your toast? Sticky jam? Gooey eggs? Spicy masala? Whatever you prefer, this ode to...
26/04/2026

Toast
By Yu Akinaga

What do you like on your toast? Sticky jam? Gooey eggs? Spicy masala? Whatever you prefer, this ode to toast is adorably illustrated and good enough to eat.

Sam Sedgman talk / workshopTODAY!! Sat 18th April 1.30pmAt How Brave Is The Wren bookshop Part of The Heath Bookshops Li...
18/04/2026

Sam Sedgman talk / workshop
TODAY!! Sat 18th April 1.30pm
At How Brave Is The Wren bookshop

Part of The Heath Bookshops Literature & Music Festival

Really looking forward to this today, we had a brilliant jam packed day yesterday with the wonderful Sam Sedgman visiting Raddlebarn Primary & Wheelers Lane Primary schools and rustled up a fantastic pack of story ingredients with our Home ed families at the shop.

Now it’s your chance to join in the fun, so if you love trains, stories about trains, stories about investigations and time travel then come along at 1.30pm

There’s still time to pre book over
Website or just turn up for entry on the door.

This event is part of The Heath Bookshops Literature & Music Festival and is supported by National Lottery Grants Funding through Arts Council England.

Address

4 York Road, Kings Heath
Birmingham
B147RZ

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when How Brave Is The Wren posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to How Brave Is The Wren:

Shortcuts

Share

Category