Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire by L.M. Wilkinson, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

Title: Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire

Author: L.M. Wilkinson, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 25^th February 2025

Format: Paperback

Pages: 192

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: An epic Tail of Adventure! Can one gallant mouse find the Gems of Harmony and save her homeland from destruction?

A fully illustrated and brilliantly readable adventure full of magic and prophecy, quests, heroism and loyal friendship – the world of Bravepaw will hook young readers until the very last page. This is the stuff of legend.

Titch and Huckleberry are on an epic quest. They have followed their hearts … right into the path of a terrifying swamp monster, and a village full of brainwashed squirrels!

Maybe their hearts aren’t to be trusted? Maybe Titch is just an ordinary little mouse and not Bravepaw after all …?

But Bravepaw or not, Titch is not about to give up. Can she defeat the greedy turtle controlling the squirrels, and discover what his glowing green gem has to do with the legend of Bravepaw and her quest to save Alluria?

~*~

Titch, Huckleberry and Dollop are back – and this time, they’re headed to Rotwood Mire to continue their quest and solve the prophecy. In this book, Titch and Huckleberry meet Briar, a squirrel who has been exiled from her squirrel village. Briar’s village has been brainwashed, and the battle to save them and defeat a swamp monster – but its more than just an obstacle on the way to healing Alluria and helping Prince Vetiver. There’s a new villain to defeat and a new piece of the quest and puzzle to put together as Titch and Huckleberry venture further and further away from their home and families.

The second book in this series takes readers to venture further into Titch’s world and journey, and each book reveals a new stone, a new gem, and a new fact about the journey. Titch and Huckleberry are now looking for the Clawstone, but they may not realise where they are looking for it at first. This cleverly makes sure that we know they’re looking for something, yet the quest aspect is what drives the narrative – where are they going to find it, is it connected to Muskeg and the brainwashed squirrels, and can they trust Briar?

Everything in this novel is carefully plotted and pulled together as it neatly follows on from the first book. It’s slightly dark, but is still gentle enough for younger, sensitive readers who want something a little more but aren’t ready for anything too intense yet. It means that the characters still get to face danger and the tension is there, but the reader also feels safe – we know that it is going to resolve itself. Each book focuses on one gem, one aspect of the journey and one bad guy that defines the novel as the series builds up to its eventual finale once all the gems have been collected by Titch and Huckleberry.

The second book brings a new friend into the mix – a squirrel called Briar, who is brave and determined, who wants to first and foremost save her village. Just like any hero, Titch questions herself – and each book revolves around her working out how to take on each challenge, and using the power of her friends as well as her own strength and confidence to achieve her goals to save Alluria. Titch, Huckleberry and Briar are some of my favourite characters in contemporary children’s literature, and a series like this shows that children’s books can be timeless, they can be the kind of book that doesn’t attach themselves to a specific time or era. These can be very powerful, because rather than connecting with readers through a time, place, or items they can recognise, they use themes and what makes us who we are to connect us with the story and the characters. Titch is a mouse we can relate to because she has her own fears and doubts that mirror the ones we might feel in our world. And through this gentle journey, readers will get to understand people and the world around them. I’m looking forward to the next book and the rest of the journey.