Beloved author Kate DiCamillo has been busy lately! Her new middle fiction book Ferris arrived only a few weeks ago, a follow-up to The Puppets of Spelhorst is due later this year, and this month we have the lovely Orris and Timble; the first book in a new series for younger readers.

Orris the rat lives in a comfy nest inside a barn. When a young owl gets stuck in a trap and calls for help, Orris isn’t sure what to do. Orris is quite scared of Timble the owl. Timble’s claws are huge and Orris does not want to be eaten. Orris remembers the fable about the lion and the mouse, and with that in mind he tries his best to make the ‘good and noble choice’.

This book is made up of bite-sized chapters and told with DiCamillo’s characteristic timelessness and gentle humour. I promise it isn’t corny, but it’s a story with a message that’s much like what Brené Brown has been saying to the grown-ups; choose courage over comfort and your vulnerability may lead to the greatest joys of all: friendship and love.

This full-colour, illustrated hardback is a gorgeous book to share with readers aged 5+.