ORRIS AND TIMBLE

Unlikely companions wing their way into readers’ hearts—and also the sky—in this trilogy closer.

Orris, a bookish, reclusive rat, and Timble, a large young owl, have come a long way since the first installment in the series; driven by the words emblazoned on a treasured sardine tin (“Make the Good and Noble Choice!!”), Orris risked his life to free the predatory Timble from a trap. Now as the two sit companionably on the barn roof, Timble generously offers to carry Orris out to see the world’s wonders with his own eyes. “Absolutely not,” Orris responds. “No. Never.” Orris’ resolution falters, though, as Timble gently persists, reminding his friend of the fable he himself had told about how a lion and a mouse learned to trust each other. One night Orris dreams of flying on golden wings, and the sardine etched on the tin seems to say, “Listen, rat. If I had a chance to fly, I would fly.” The next night Timble flies away with a small passenger clinging to his back. DiCamillo’s tale is spare of language but rich in understated feeling. Expertly reflecting the story’s emotional undercurrents with tender attention to subtleties of posture and expression, Mok depicts the pair mostly beneath twilit or starry skies—Orris a picture of hunched reluctance, Timble with his eyes comically rolled up, quietly waiting for his diminutive friend to come around.

Tender and authentic—a worthy conclusion to a wondrous series.