| | |  | Lions | Home » » The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread | | | | | | | Description: | | "Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul-stirring as it is delicious." — BOOKLIST (starred review)
Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.
From the master storyteller who brought us BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE comes another classic, a fairy tale full of quirky, unforgettable characters, with twenty-four stunning black-and-white illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering. This paperback edition pays tribute to the book's classicdesign, featuring a rough front and elegant gold stamping. | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780763625290
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Kate DiCamillo | | Paperback:
| 272 pages | | Publisher:
| Candlewick | | Publication Date:
| April 11, 2006 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0763625299 | | Product Length:
| 7.7 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.25 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.79 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.55 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 4.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.65 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 458 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 : )Aug 19, 2010
great story! the characters had great, rich personalities. the only problem with this book was the way it was told. "but dear reader." just get on with the story already! other than that, it was a great story that's too good to forget.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Don't listen to the detractors... or .. maybe you should... how should I know!?! We love it!Jul 19, 2010
This book clearly has a demographic of heartfelt detractors. I'm not one of them - neither is my 7 year old daughter. My wife and many of her 3rd graders have/do love the book.
I don't see the problems with it that some others do. In fact I think it's a bit absurd - but to each their own.
My understanding is some have issue with the darkness of the book - or the sad and flawed characters. I guess I can understand this concern if you are thinking of extremely young listeners/readers. However, by the time most children can read/appreciate this book they will be old enough (presumably) to think about the world a bit more as it really is and not as it is presented in squeaky-clean children books. This book is not any darker than say Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - or a number of other Dahl books which are also loved in our house. We also read a decent bit of Greek Myth - often quite grim - but my kids love them.
Yes, Mig is a character deserving sympathy (as is Roscuro to some extent) - she is abused, dim-witted, overweight and near-deaf from the beatings to the ears she has suffered. She had a horrible life! This actually happens sometimes to real people! Think about the life someone with her abilities may have led ever so many years ago.
Desperaux's family treats him pretty horribly as well ... but he isn't tainted and is able to love and forgive and empathize and persevere ... he is ultimately a hero.
There are things to think about - and discuss. Thinking and discussing books with your kids is healthy for you and for them!
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Even Happily Ever Afters Involve Some SadnessJun 04, 2010
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is an exciting fairy tale written in the style of classical romantic literature. The title character, Despereaux, is a tiny mouse; the smallest mouse ever to be born in the castle. Not only that, but he also has incredibly large ears, even by normal-size mouse standards, and he's born with his eyes open, something unheard of. He's so small that his mother is disappointed so much by his birth that she vows to never have any more children and his father thinks he will die in a few days. But Despereaux lives and like his unusual birth he goes on to live an unusual life. Instead of eating the pages of books in the library, he reads the words on the pages and instead of staying away from the people in the castle, he becomes good friends with Princess Pea. He's a nonconformist, but those who don't conform do pay a price as THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX reminds readers again and again. Like all good stories, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX isn't just about Despereaux and Pea. There are two other major characters: a rat named Chiaroscuro and a poor farm girl named Miggery (Mig) Sow. Chiaroscuro is a rat who loves light. Rats by their very nature prefer darkness, but not Chiaroscuro. After he catches a gleam of light he seeks it. For Chiaroscuro light is a bright beacon within his soul. Yet, his quest for light leads to a terrible, unfortunate accident and Chiaroscuro is banished to the darkness where he plots his revenge against the rulers of the castle. Meanwhile, Mig Sow is a servant girl in the castle who wasn't born with much external beauty and who was sold by her father as a young child for a table cloth. Mig wants nothing more than to be a princess and when Chiaroscuro promises her that he can help her become one, she'll do almost anything he says.
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is a romantic fairy tale. It is a romance because though there can never be more than friendship between Princess Pea and Despereaux Tilling, Despereaux Tilling loves the Princess. The actions he takes are done because of honor and love. But, the story is a true fairy tale. There is happiness at the end of the story and everything is restored to its proper place, but not until the characters have gone through an incredible journey full of darkness, danger, and a dance with death.
DiCamillo is a magnificent storyteller and weaves the tale in a classical literary sense. It engages readers and when words are used (such as "perfidy") or a situation arises that the youngest readers might not understand, she explains it in a way that makes the meanings clear. The book has a number of messages that all readers can benefit from, e.g. actions, even good ones, have consequences; it's difficult to be a nonconformist; though life is full of joy, there are always moments of sadness; etc.
I enjoyed reading THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. It had all the elements that a great story should. Though marketed towards a younger audience, the book is really just a wonderful story that all readers, no matter the age, can enjoy.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Nonconformity Isn't Easy And Other LessonsJun 04, 2010
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is an exciting fairy tale written in the style of classical romantic literature. The title character, Despereaux, is a tiny mouse; the smallest mouse ever to be born in the castle. Not only that, but he also has incredibly large ears, even by normal-size mouse standards, and he's born with his eyes open, something unheard of. He's so small that his mother is disappointed so much by his birth that she vows to never have any more children and his father thinks he will die in a few days. But Despereaux lives and like his unusual birth he goes on to live an unusual life. Instead of eating the pages of books in the library, he reads the words on the pages and instead of staying away from the people in the castle, he becomes good friends with Princess Pea. He's a nonconformist, but those who don't conform do pay a price as THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX reminds readers again and again. Like all good stories, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX isn't just about Despereaux and Pea. There are two other major characters: a rat named Chiaroscuro and a poor farm girl named Miggery (Mig) Sow. Chiaroscuro is a rat who loves light. Rats by their very nature prefer darkness, but not Chiaroscuro. After he catches a gleam of light he seeks it. For Chiaroscuro light is a bright beacon within his soul. Yet, his quest for light leads to a terrible, unfortunate accident and Chiaroscuro is banished to the darkness where he plots his revenge against the rulers of the castle. Meanwhile, Mig Sow is a servant girl in the castle who wasn't born with much external beauty and who was sold by her father as a young child for a table cloth. Mig wants nothing more than to be a princess and when Chiaroscuro promises her that he can help her become one, she'll do almost anything he says.
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is a romantic fairy tale. It is a romance because though there can never be more than friendship between Princess Pea and Despereaux Tilling, Despereaux Tilling loves the Princess. The actions he takes are done because of honor and love. But, the story is a true fairy tale. There is happiness at the end of the story and everything is restored to its proper place, but not until the characters have gone through an incredible journey full of darkness, danger, and a dance with death.
DiCamillo is a magnificent storyteller and weaves the tale in a classical literary sense. It engages readers and when words are used (such as "perfidy") or a situation arises that the youngest readers might not understand, she explains it in a way that makes the meanings clear. The book has a number of messages that all readers can benefit from, e.g. actions, even good ones, have consequences; it's difficult to be a nonconformist; though life is full of joy, there are always moments of sadness; etc.
I enjoyed reading THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. It had all the elements that a great story should. Though marketed towards a younger audience, the book is really just a wonderful story that all readers, no matter the age, can enjoy.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Despereaux is a Super MouseApr 23, 2010
Despereaux was unusually small when he was born, but he had very big ears for a mouse. And he was born with his eyes open. These were all bad signs, according to the book's mouse community, which is dominated by the ignorant and the intolerant. Roscuro was a rat that loved the light and had the misfortune to fall into the Queen's soup. Miggery Sow was an abused child who wanted to be a princess.
This is a fantasy that both children (twelve and older), and adults can appreciate. Author Kate DiCamillo knows a lot about human nature, particularly the dark side. I would not recommend this book for younger children, because it deals with some particularly scary themes. She uses mice, rats, and medieval-style royalty to reflect upon humanity and inhumanity
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