Charming stories from the Great British Waterways for children of all ages.

About Muddy Waters

Windlass Publishing introduces the brand new children’s series of Muddy Waters® stories.  Fun, vibrant and colourful, these wonderful tales capture the imagination of children and adults alike through rich language and beautiful illustration.

The first ten titles in series one are available now.  Whilst the initial stories are set in and around Oxford, later adventures take them from tranquil Thrupp Wharf to some of the most spectacular parts of the UK's Waterways.

With 18 new characters and plenty of rivers and canals to explore, there’s a lot more to come from Muddy Waters® - and don't forget to find the ladybird in every picture!

Every book has colourful sample pages and text for buyers to preview before purchase. Just click on the link for further information. Details of new books about to be published can also be viewed and pre-ordered through this site.

MEET THE CHARACTERS!

Cedric the dredger

Balliol

Coal Face

Ol' One Eye

Tinker

Geordie

Old Badger

Milly

Pearly Whites

Jolly Boatman

Poppy

Dizzy Spells

Dudley

Owen

Dagwood

Hamish

Dawn Chorus

About the artwork

Stephen Preedy at work in his studio in Oxfordshire

The superb artwork in all of the Muddy Waters stories is loving created by illustrator Stephen Preedy.

Every one of the colourful plates in each of the muddy waters books is produced and painted by hand before they are finally submitted to the printers. 

There are no computer generated images used in any of the stories. Each of the plates is completely unique. It's a demanding and time-consuming process but we hope you will agree it's worth it!

About the author D. H. Clacher

Dan (right) and Phillip Tree at The Plough Event in Wolvercote, Oxford 2016

“We are all canals and boats mad in this family and I have been writing and telling the Muddy Waters stories purely for internal consumption for years. It's only fairly recently that we've considered publishing.”

"It was walking alongside the canal with my grandson that I first found the inspiration for the Muddy Waters books.  Children see the most amazing things in every day life that adults don't.  My grandson saw that canal boats seemed to have faces - and that was the start of Muddy Waters."

"Since we first published Jolly Boatman's lesson, we have been thrilled by the wonderful response from children, parents and teachers. The one question they all ask however is when will Muddy Waters be on TV? Obviously, I can't answer that right now but let's hope it's just a matter of time."

Read Dan's AMAZON author's biography here

All Muddy Waters stories are published by Windlass Publishing, 12, Broad Field Road, Yarnton, Oxon. OX5 1UL. © Copyright 2014