Despereaux is a mouse who falls in love with a princess. His ears are far too large, and unlike the other mice he can hear and appreciate music. After Desperaux breaks mouse law by speaking to the princess, he is sentenced to death in the dungeon, home of a vicious bunch of rats. The story also involves a rat who loves light and soup, and hates everyone because he has been denied it after accidentally killing the queen, the kind princess, and a stupid peasant girl. The story jumps around to each of these characters. When the rat tricks the peasant into kidnapping the princess, it is up to Despereaux to find a way through the dungeon to save her.
Citation
DiCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Impression
I could barely summon up enough enthusiasm to write a summary for this book. It just really didn't work for me--I didn't care about any of the characters, the narrator was annoying, the style was pretentious--I just did not enjoy it. I can see why it won awards, but this book really sort of reconfirmed in my mind that award winners=boring.
Reviews
"Gr 3 Up-A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun"
Budin, M.L. (2003, August 1). [Review of the book The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com.
"Gr. 3-6. Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to honor her. But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo's deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart. And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm. "
Cooper, I. (2003, July 1). [Review of the book The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com.
Uses
I'm going to be boring with this one and say put it in a display of Newbery winners.
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