The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
by Kate DiCamillo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kate DiCamilloBrand: Aladdin
Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-04-11
ISBN: 0763625299
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Candlewick
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780763625290
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Book Review: Surpassed My Doubtful Expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
Why did I enjoy the Tale of the Desperaux? It's hard to say. I thought it would be a huge downer of a book, but for some reason it wasn't. I think the focus on soup lightened it up a bit.
The story's fairly straightfoward, but shifts the point of view quite a bit. An evil rat named Roscuro develops a preference for light over darkness after a match lights up his face and fire enters his soul. Although he's warned to stay inside the dark castle dungeon with all the other rats, he finds the brightest light he can, which is in the chandelier of the dining room. He falls in the queen's soup and the queen is so shocked by the event that she dies. The king is devestated, and bans all soup and soup-related utensils, including spoons.
The beautiful princess gives Roscuro a dirty look before he escapes, and it break's Roscuro's heart enough for him to focus on seeking revenge against her. He manipulates a servant girl into kidnapping the princess for him, giving the girl an empty promise that if she helps him out, she will replace the princess of the castle.
Our hero Desperaux hears of this plan, and because he's fallen in love with the princess, he sets out to save her, inspired by a knight in shining armor tale he read in the library. Of course, the good guy wins in the end.
Notice how Desperaux is not involved in the main plot until the story's end. Before that point, he's involved in a sub-plot about his ostrasization from the mouse community that basically pushes the message of non-conformity. Yawn.
The real story here is Roscuro's manipulation of the victimized servant girl, and his confusion about where he belongs in the world. His malice towards the princess is brought about only because of peer-pressure from another rat, saying that rats can only enjoy darkness and evil. Pretty heavy stuff.
I feel there is much to look into while reading Desperaux that isn't visible on the surface. For instance, when the author comments on the silliness of banning soup, what particular object does the soup symbolize? Also Desperaux ultimately succeeds in his quest, yet accepts a much more meager award than expected. Does Desperaux symbolize human nature in general here, or just the nature of someone who's been trough great rejection? It's not evident by reading the story what satirical elements may be included, if any.
Sometimes I think there are currently more adults reading children's chapter books than there are children reading children's chapter books. It's almost like children's chapter books are becoming more and more of a form of artistic expression than a form of entertainment for children. While kids are off playing video games, armchair philosophers are psychoanalyzing the intent of mouse story authors. Quite interesting really.
The chapters in the book are extremely short and move very quickly. Even a slow reader like myself was easily able to finish the book in a few days. The sentence structure is appropriate for the target age group, but the vocabulary is quite advanced. Desperaux's tale reminds me of "The Wind in the Willows" but with simpler sentences. Here and there DiCamillo explains what a big word means, but lots of advanced words slip by, assuming the reader is familiar with their meaning.
Too bad my favorite characters aren't in the book much. Roscuro and his pressuring rat buddy Botticelli aren't mentioned through most of the story despite their crucial roles, and for some reason great character development was given to the very minor part of the Threadmaster. Most of the novel's focus is spent on the typical underdog hero Desperaux, and the abused servant girl Miggery Sow. Of course, if you want a Newbury award, that's probably the kind of stuff you have to focus on - heros with physical handicaps that are rejected by society and overly-abused children.
Although I tire of these prevalent themes quickly, the evil nature of the rat culture and the kingdom's desire for something as simple as soup was more than enough to keep me reading and convince me that this book is truly a modern classic. I loved the Italian names and the illustrations are wonderful. DiCamillo's writing style is very arty with its simple sentences and sporatically advanced vocabulary. The division of the story into four different books gives the reader much more perspective, and actually adds some excitement to what would otherwise be dull and predictable events. I like this story, and despite all my commentary, I have a difficult time explaining why. It just somehow gives me the impression that it's a story that's been around for hundreds of years and will be around for hundreds more.
More The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread reviews:
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Summary of The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
"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.
Kate DiCamillo, author of the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, spins a tidy tale of mice and men where she explores the "powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous" nature of love, hope, and forgiveness. Her old-fashioned, somewhat dark story, narrated "Dear Reader"-style, begins "within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse." Despereaux Tilling, the new baby mouse, is different from all other mice. Sadly, the romantic, unmouselike spirit that leads the unusually tiny, large-eared mouse to the foot of the human king and the beautiful Princess Pea ultimately causes him to be banished by his own father to the foul, rat-filled dungeon.
The first book of four tells Despereaux's sad story, where he falls deeply in love with Princess Pea and meets his cruel fate. The second book introduces another creature who differs from his peers--Chiaroscuro, a rat who instead of loving the darkness of his home in the dungeon, loves the light so much he ends up in the castle& in the queen's soup. The third book describes young Miggery Sow, a girl who has been "clouted" so many times that she has cauliflower ears. Still, all the slow-witted, hard-of-hearing Mig dreams of is wearing the crown of Princess Pea. The fourth book returns to the dungeon-bound Despereaux and connects the lives of mouse, rat, girl, and princess in a dramatic denouement.
Children whose hopes and dreams burn secretly within their hearts will relate to this cast of outsiders who desire what is said to be out of their reach and dare to break "never-to-be-broken rules of conduct." Timothy Basil Ering's pencil illustrations are stunning, reflecting DiCamillo's extensive light and darkness imagery as well as the sweet, fragile nature of the tiny mouse hero who lives happily ever after. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
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