Genre 6

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. Ill. by Timothy Basil. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
ISBN 0763617229

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Deep within castle walls, a small mouse with giant ears is born. Despereaux as he is called, is seen as an outcast by his family because he is born with his eyes open and prefers reading fairy tales to nibbling them. Despereaux befriends the young princess of the castle, Pea, but he is banished to the dungeon by his relatives for talking to her. The dungeon is full of rats waiting to eat Despereaux. Also amongst the dungeon's inhabitants is a man who traded his daughter for a red tablecloth. This man's daughter, Miggery Sow (Mig), a dim-witted peasant girl, has just come to the castle as a servant. When Mig is fooled by the rats into kidnapping Pea and bringing her to the dungeon, newly escaped Despereaux must return to the dungeon in hope of rescuing his beloved princess. The climax of the fairy tale sees everyone living more or less "happily ever ever", though maybe not in the traditional sense.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
DiCamillo's fairy tale is also a fantasy novel. The plot is entertaining, fast-moving, and unique. It is also believable, aside from the fact that animals talk to each other and to people. The setting for the story takes place primarily within the castle, and within the dungeon. The stark contrasts between the two are identified, with light and dark being important identifiers. The castle itself is bright and sparkling; it is light, which signifies good. The dark, dank and smelly dungeon portrays dark which signifies evil. DiCamillo reveals the characters and the plot by talking directly to the reader; "And in his sleep, reader, the small mouse began to cry." By doing this, she helps to connect the reader to each character. The interwoven stories sometimes go between Despereaux's adventures, what is happening to Mig, and what is occuring to Pea. This enables each character, and their particular story, to become more fully developed. As the reader, you are just getting wrapped up in one character's dilemma, when you suddenly shift to anothers. The universal themes of good triumphing over evil, of love over hate, and of forgiveness, resonate strongly in this book. The theme unfolds naturally with the story, without being obvious or moralizing. The dialogue of each character is different and specific, helping the reader to identify each one's unique personality. Dimwitted Mig frequently says "Gor", and her damaged ears allow for frequent and humorous misunderstandings. DiCamillo's charming style makes this story what it is-- an award winner which children will love for generations. Ering's pencil drawings help to depict Despereaux and the other characters. The drawings are interspersed lightly throughout the book, and are delicious morsels to enjoy.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL
* SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun."
* BOOKLIST (STARRED): "And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Read other books about talking mice and rats, including:
CHRISTOPHER MOUSE: THE TALE OF A SMALL TRAVELER by William Wise
ISBN 1582347085
MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
ISBN 0689710682
GREGOR THE OVERLANDER series by Suzanne Collins
ISBN 0439678137
CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White
0064400557
RALPH S. MOUSE series by Beverly Cleary
0380709570
* Read other books with unlikely heroes, including:
Again, CHARLOTTE'S WEB
SWORDS FOR HIRE: TWO OF THE MOST UNLIKELY HEROES YOU'LL EVER MEET by Will Allen
ISBN 0613900855