Twelve-year-old Claire, already fed up with her father's fantastical stories, is outraged when he sells their house and moves her and her little brother into a converted van for an adventure.
Various writers and artists contribute to David Peterson's world of "Mouse Guard" in this anthology of short stories woven together by a storytelling contest held by the proprietress of the June Alley Inn, in the western mouse city of Barkstone.
It is late and Crabby just wants to sleep, but Plankton keeps Crabby awake with questions and chatter--until a request for a bedtime story takes an unexpected turn.
"[A] picture book mystery starring a hopelessly lost narrator, an unqualified detective, and a very sneaky janitor, who are all surprised to discover that second chapter of the very book of which they are a part is-gasp-missing!"--OCLC.