It seems like several fables in one book. I found the beginning of the book and the end wonderful. The presentation of the characters, their fears, their strengths and their adventures are entertaining, endearing and I found it an emotional and exciting road trip.
Reading this book has been like reading Beatrix Potter, as if her spirit was in the characters of this peculiar place, so inhospitable at times....
This story is full of values and even if you don't see them, because sometimes beauty is invisible to the eyes, you will see them in conversations, in metaphors...
At the beginning, it threw me off and I didn't know what the story was going to be about, and I really didn't. That beginning together with the end are rounded.

Pd. I couldn't choose just one character, they are all so different, they have their own particularities and they are so... I would take them all home.
A story for children and for adults.

I loved the cover and loved this well written book that surprised me. It's well plotted,  good world building and character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A charming story about friends who have enough differences to make for a fun story for kids, and it also contains life lessons.

Parents, you want this book for your kids this Christmas.

I only removed one star, because even for a childrens book, a bit more personality differences among some of the (substantially numbered) characters, could improve the book.

Review
I tend to read plenty of children's books to vet them for suitability for our library's young one's tastes, so this book piqued my interest.
A really odd and quirky book is Friends at Waters-edge and Fremont House, and I wasn't sure how to relate my views on reading the book. It felt like some strange cross between Wind in the Willows and Tales from the Riverbank. 
This could have been written for children of a much younger demographic than the designated group if it wasn't for the extended vocabulary. It did feel educational in parts, with the talk of brushing teeth and regular visits to the dentist.  
I wasn't too enamoured about one of the characters being fobbed off to a psychiatrist just because he was a bit exuberant. Perhaps I am being unfair, but it didn't seem fair or valid.
The story was very pedestrian early on, and it took a long time for the main protagonists to amalgamate as a group. They did so with some sense of adventure, at least, getting into a fair few scrapes along the way.
There were times when things got a little more exhilarating as the story progressed. Renovating buildings, celebrating festivals, and a life-and-death situation with one of the main characters added to the excitement.
On the plus side, there is a lot to like about forming friendships and having camaraderie, having a spirit of adventure. Using the bond of companionship to accomplish tasks that would usually seem beyond rhyme or reason was an encouraging message to pass on.
The characters themselves were of fascinating nature, literally. Daxham was my favourite of a tight bunch for the sheer roguishness of his antics, but I probably wouldn't tell the kids that.
There are plenty more goings-on to be found within the narrative, but I will not go into any more detail than that as I will not spoil the book for others.
I have to say that the ending was not exactly what I was expecting, and I was pleasantly surprised by the climactic conclusion and final outcome.
In the end, it became one of those books where you think you enjoyed it but may have to read it once again to be sure or view it in a different light.
Thank you, Matador and NetGalley, for the opportunity to view the advanced copy of Friends at Waters-edge and Fremont House by Margaret Margereson.