The unlikely friendship of Orris the rat and Timble the owl is put to the test in book two of this gorgeously illustrated series. Every night, Timble visits Orris in the barn where the old rat tells the young owl stories. One night, Timble does not arrive, and Orris is heartbroken and then dismayed. Convincing himself that they should never have been friends in the first place, Orris’s loyalty wavers—until he hears the familiar hoot of his companion. Relieved but resentful, Orris hides from Timble. The patient owl knows his friend well, though, and coaxes him out with a story of his own. “It’s a story about an owl who got lost.” Storytelling, friendship, and strong emotions shine in this big-hearted story by the brilliant Kate DiCamillo.

"DiCamillo packs intense feelings into and between the lines of her simply phrased tale, set off perfectly by Mok’s spare, neatly drawn barnyard settings. . . Sensitive and quietly enthralling." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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.