BRAVEPAW AND THE CLAWSTONE OF ROTWOOD MIRE

The useful part

When we last left mouseling Titch, she had just escaped a crew of grabbers—greedy forest scavengers—with the help of an eaglebear, a massive creature the Grabbers also held captive. As this story begins, Titch, her homebody rodent pal Huckleberry, and pocket-size puffling Dollop are lost in Rotwood Mire. A brave warrior arrives—a self-assured, sword-sporting squirrel who introduces herself as Briar Nettlebrush.

How it works

• The squirrels know an extra verse: "When gems unite in harmony / …Bravepaw will come." In this fanciful, absorbing tale of teamwork, it certainly seems that Titch will not be fulfilling her destiny alone.
• Briar insists she's a loner, but before long, she reveals that she needs Titch's help.
• The squirrels of her village are under the mind control of a turtle wizard, Lord Muskeg, who wears a dark green gem around his neck.
• Having previously introduced the Bravepaw prophecy that Titch must strive to fulfill ("When the sky fills with shadow / And all is turned to gray, / Bravepaw will come…"), Wilkinson adds an important wrinkle.
• Naidu's illustrations of forest creatures remain insistently adorable, with the brilliant exceptions of the gloopy, gross Bogbungler and "mucky scoundrel" Muskeg.

Details worth keeping

Titch tries to subdue it with her magical staff, but fails.