Guaranteed to enchant young readers. This collaboration by two masters of their crafta Newbery Medalist and a Governor Generals Literary Award finalistwill prove irresistible. Booklist (starred review)

Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friendsa king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owlbicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the hearts mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room in the home of two little girls, the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have imagined. A beloved author of modern classics draws on her most moving themes with humor, heart, and wisdom in the first of the Norendy Tales, a projected trio of novellas linked by place and mood, each illustrated in black and white by a different virtuoso illustrator. This first tale is one that promises to soothe and strengthen us on our journey, leading us through whatever dark forest we find ourselves in.