The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread - Softcover

DiCamillo, Kate

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844289931 ISBN 13: 9781844289936

Publisher: Walker Books, 2015

Synopsis

A deftly crafted fairy tale adventure story from a New York Times bestselling author, twice winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal. Here, reader, is the tale of a tiny, sickly mouse with unusually large ears; a mouse who takes his fate into his own hands. It is the tale of a beautiful, flaxen-haired princess who laughs often and makes everything around her seem brighter. It is the tale of a poor, deaf serving girl who entertains foolish dreams of splendour. It is a tale of impossible love, of bravery and of old-fashioned courage. And, reader, it is a tale of treachery - unlimited treachery.

About this title

Review

DiCamillo’s 2004 Newbery Medal-winning fairy tale, wittily subtitled ‘the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread’, is a huge change of direction for this successful American children’s author. Instead of another tale of real life, as seen in Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tiger Rising, DiCamillo brings her same style of delicate, literary simplicity to bear on a young fantasy that will be equally enduring and that is already equally lauded.

An unnamed narrator tells the story of a mouse called Despereaux Tilling. He is a special mouse but few believe it at his time of birth. The sickly sole survivor of a large litter, Despereaux has large ears, a small stature and his eyes open way too soon. It’s not natural! He can also read and hear sounds that no one else can hear--two very dangerous talents for a castle mouse like him. He is expected to die quickly--but confounds everyone when he fails to do so.

The novel is split into four parts, each ‘book’ introducing different characters, and then intertwining them all together in a story that, though not told at breakneck speed, is quirky and unforgettable. After Despereaux’s sad story, in which he falls deeply in love with the human Princess Pea and is greatly punished for his crime, we also meet Roscuro--a conniving rat whose love of light and soup get him in deep trouble too. And then there’s Miggery Sow, a dim-witted peasant girl sold by her father for a red tablecloth, a hen and some cigarettes. Despite her hard life she has a wonderful dream to become a princess.

The writing is carefully crafted and the themes that are tackled are reassuringly familiar. Featuring Timothy Basil Ering’s stunning illustrations, The Tale of Despereaux is an old-fashioned adventure that is quite timeless. (Age 8 and over) --John McLay

Review

Full of charm, this is a heroic story of how goodness and courage can outsmart evil. * Guardian * A magical fairy story you can't just stop reading. * Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle * Expertly told, with frequent asides to the reader, vividly drawn characters and funny, the story makes it impossible for one's heart not to go out to the spirited little mouse - it is a book for all ages. * The Children's Bookseller * ...entertains, involves and enlightens... * The Bookseller *

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1844289931
• ISBN 13: 9781844289936
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272
• Illustrator: Ering Timothy Basil