| The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread (Tale of Despereaux) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 364 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1822
Category: Book
Author: Kate Dicamillo
Publisher: Candlewick
Studio: Candlewick
Manufacturer: Candlewick
Label: Candlewick
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 4.9 x 1
ISBN: 0763625299
EAN: 9780763625290
ASIN: 0763625299
Publication Date: April 11, 2006
Release Date: April 11, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product 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.
Amazon.com
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 359 more reviews...
 Soup for everyone! August 26, 2008
Kate DeCamillo write such wonderful characters! Despereaux, Chiaroscuro, miggery Sow-- all fabulous, even if they happen to be villains. the fact that DiCamillo gives each character's sad backstory makes all of them just that much more believable. What a great fairy tale! Soup for everyone!
Good Reading! August 26, 2008
This is a very good book. I can't wait for the movie to come out this Christmas 2008. This book would be perfect to read aloud to a classroom of young children. I will be ordering other books by the same author!
An Amazing Adventure Anyone Can Love August 18, 2008
This is one of my favorite books of all time! It's a beautiful story. The plot and characters are amazing! You feel like the author is really talking to you. She tells you things and you know she is because she says "Dear reader" when telling you something. At one point in the story she tells you to look a word up in the dictionary because she knows you might not know what it means. Desperaux lives in a castle with a beautiful princess who he soon falls in love with. He is a strange little mouse. Infact, he was born with his eyes open. He can read also. He meets different people there in the castle: a servant girl who is jealous of the princess, was sold by her own father and beaten; and there are plenty of others. If you like this book, you would also enjoy "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane".
Teachers, This is a must for your classroom this year. August 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Since Disney is planning to have this book come out as a movie in December, it is the perfect time to read this book in class. Then the class could go on a field trip to see the movie for a Christmas treat.
I love how the book talks to the "reader" and teaches vocabulary while telling the story. Great for schools.
 great book August 13, 2008
the book was exiting. It was about a mouse called Despereaux Tilling. And one time Furlough Despereaux brother took him for a walk in the castle. Despereaux sneaked out one night to go around the castle, and he saw a human. Tha human was the princess. the princess was with her dad the and the king was singing a song to princess so could to sleep. one second later the princess sees Despereaux. and that is when the adventures happen. its a great book for kids i recomend this book to kids that like adventures.
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