DicCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. Cambridge , MA
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Interest Level: Ages 8 to 12
Subjects/Themes: Fairy Tales, Animals
Plot: The book is divided into four parts where in the first three we learn about Despereaux, Roscuro, and Miggery Sow.
Despereaux is a mouse who lives in castle. He is very different from the other mice. He doesn’t scurry, eat paper, or run from humans. Instead he reads books about knights and has fallen in love with Princess Pea. Because he was caught listening to the king’s music while the princess talked and even touched him, Despereaux is sent to the dungeon where it is expected that the rats will eat him.
Roscuro is a rat who is different from the other rats because he loves the light. He is hypnotized by another rat named Botticelli to be mean to the prisoners in the dungeon. On Roscuro’s one trip to the upper parts of the castle, where there is light, he falls into the queen’s soup which causes her to have a heart attack and die. As a result, Roscuro swears revenge for not being allowed in the light and the king outlaws soup.
Miggery Sow is a hard of hearing and not so bright girl who has had a hard life. Her father sold her as a slave where she was beaten constantly by the man that owned her. When the king’s men come to announce the outlawing of soup, Miggery Sow is freed and taken to the palace to work as servant. More than anything Miggery wants to become a princess.
The fourth part of the book is where all the characters come together. Roscuro and Miggery end up kidnapping the princess and Despereuax goes on a quest to rescue her.
Notes: This book was also made into a movie and into a graphic novel.
Personal Thoughts: A great example of a Newberry Award winning book. I remember talking with a little girl right before I read this book. She told me that she loved reading the book and the movie, but that she thought it was such a sad story even though it ends happily. Her statement to me rang true. So many sad things happen to what would otherwise be nice characters. Despereaux being mistreated by his family, Roscuro being forced to be mean just because he’s a rat, and Miggery’s slavery. Some very strong emotions and experiences happen in the story which provides lots of opportunities for discussion. The book is easy enough for an 8 year to read but still interesting enough for even a 14 year old. I definitely suggest this title for children who love fairytale fiction. The also made a movie of the book in 2008. Check out the Tale of Despereaux movie website for more details.
Awards:
Newberry Medal Award Winner (2004)
Multiple State Awards
Author’s Website: http://www.katedicamillo.com/index.html
Other Books by the Author: Because of Winn-Dixie (2000); The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane (2006); The magician's elephant (2009);
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