Orris and Timble Lost and Found by Kate DiCamillo (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday)
Orris and Timble Lost and Found (Book 2)
Kate DiCamillo, Author
Carmen Mok, Illustrator
Candlewick Press, Fiction, Apr. 29, 2025
Pages: 80
Suitable for ages: 5-8
Themes: Rat, Owl, Friendship, Trust, Finding your way
Book Jacket Synopsis:
Every friendship faces challenges. Orris and Timble are back in a poignant and evocatively illustrated tale of trust from a two-time Newbery Medalist.
Orris the rat and Timble the owl are unlikely friends. Each night, Timble visits Orris in the barn and listens to his stories. But Timble is growing up, and one evening when the owl doesn’t appear as usual Orris wonders if Timble has forgotten him. Is their friendship over? Or could it be that Timble has a tale of his own to share?
Illustrated with wistful tenderness, the second title in a projected trilogy to feature this charmingly offbeat pair masterfully explores the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell each other, and the binding magic of friendship.
What I like about Orris and Timble:
Kate DiCamillo has created a delightful story with important lessons about unlikely friendships, trust and finding your way. Needless to say, it will be a popular chapter book in classrooms because it is interactive and challenges readers to think deeply how they’d respond to familiar situations in their friendships.
Timble likes the comfort and safety of his home in the barn. He takes a huge step in saving Timble in the first book, because owls eat rats. They have become family and Orris loves to listen to the stories Timble shares every night. But Timble has dreams of flying to the moon and stars, while Orris does not. When Timble doesn’t return one night, Orris is worried and angry. What has happened to their relationship? How does Orris respond? Should Orris be afraid or open to his friend it pursuing a dream? You will have to read this heartwarming and funny story to find out what happens.
Carmen Mok beautifully captures this story with warm and inviting illustrations. Encourage readers to draw a scene from the story, or discuss a challenge they face with a friendship.
Kate DiCamillo is one of America’s most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a two-time Newberry Medalist. She is the author of Because of Winn Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician’s Elephant, Flora & Ulysses, and the Raymie Nightingale series. She also is the author of the chapter books series Mercy Watson and the Tales from Deckwoo Drive. Born in Philadelphia she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.
*Review copy provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.
