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The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Unavailable
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Unavailable
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Audiobook3 hours

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

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Narrated by Graeme Malcolm

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

This is the story of Desperaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These 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.

And what happens then?

Listeners, it is your destiny to find out.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 26, 2003
ISBN9780807219492
Unavailable
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Author

Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo is the acclaimed author of many books for young readers, including The Tale of Despereaux, winner of the Newbery Medal; Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor Book; and The Tiger Rising, a National Book Award finalist. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Reviews for The Tale of Despereaux

Rating: 4.099376546375683 out of 5 stars
4/5

2,566 ratings213 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Tale of Despereaux is one of the finest novels I've ever read. It is a legend about the darkness and the light in human beings. The story of a heroic mouse in search not only of his fate,but of the fate of many others. Although one princess is his inspiration, the hope in Desperaux's own heart leads him to save his enemies, creating friends. Botticelli and Chiarascuro are doomed rats, who, we soon learn, were deprived of the highly symbolic lights of the castle. In this story of humanity at its best and worst, Desperaux and his Princess Pea demonstrate a world of love and kindness.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    this was a cute story about a mouse who is an "unlikely hero". I enjoyed the story although I felt it was slow in parts. Both children and adults will take away their own significant meanings of the "light" and the "dark".
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    funny and good
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really cute!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is such a sweet and cleverly written book with unlikely heroes and diabolical evil-doers. We recently went to see the movie, which was nowhere near as wonderful as the book. The literary tale of Despereaux is destined to be a classic and rightfully so.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Despereaux is an odd mouse. He is small with oversized ears and was born, the last of his mother's mouse babies, with his eyes open. According to his aunt, this simply is not done. Far be it that those are the only differences between him and his fellow mice, Despereaux is not content scurrying and nibbling and when his siblings go to show him how to properly consume of the tasty binding of a book, he reads it. And in reading it, Despereaux learns of honour and love. And in learning of love, he knows the strange feeling he gets when he meets the Princess, who is [quite noticeably] not a mouse. His tale grows tragic when he is banished from his family and clan for speaking with the humans of the castle, and he is sent to the dungeons to be eaten by rats. But Despereaux is not eaten, otherwise it would not be a very good tale. Instead, he comes across a nefarious plot to kidnap and subdue his love and must overcome the evils ahead of him. Despereaux escapes the prison and faces many dangers on this path, not the least of which is the rat who is nefariously planning, or the cook who does not like mice in her kitchen. Not content to merely entertain and edify with a single tale, Kate DiCamillo uses three seperate stories to adequately tell Despereaux's--starting with Despereaux, moving to Chiaroscuro and then Miggery Sow before bringing the threads together into the final book of the...book. Before we go any further, I would like to point out that my absolute favorite thing about this story is not the characters or the lines or the story...my absolutely absolute favorite thing about the story is the names therein. Despereaux Tilling, Chiaroscuro, Pea, Miggery Sow...even the author's name is astounding and generally awesome. Let me tell you that I don't remember things well, so I'm not remarkably into the history or source of names. This is a purely aesthetic appeal here. I like the way they sound, I like the way they look, and I like the way the slip into the character and help give them life. On one hand, the mean part of me is not even entirely sure why this book got a Newbery Medal. The way DiCamillo tells it is rather obnoxious, adressing the reader with too great a frequency and using too many rhetorical questions for my personal taste. On the other hand, I would almost be willing to grant her the honor for the names. Despereaux Tilling is the best example and since I can do it without risking too much of a plot spoiler, I'll explain with him. Despereaux Tilling is, as I said, a small mouse with big ears and the last of his mother's babies. Like his last name, he is simple and, to initial appearances, nothing remarkably special. Like his first name however, he is unexpected. He is brave, he is curious, he is daring to hope and believe like a human while the others are all contented with scurrying hither and thither. He is a combination of two seriously different worlds, half in one, half in the other. With such an extraordinary first name, the character cries out to do something astounding despite his humble origins. Here I am, rambling aimlessly because I finished the book several days ago and cannot remember anything else I wanted to write about. Ah well...forgive me friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despereaux Tilling is a disgrace to his family with his very un-mouse-like behaviour: he likes music and reading stories, and falls in love with a princess. As punishment the mouse council send him to his death in the castle's dungeons. But Despereaux has the heart of a lion and in the end becomes the unlikeliest of heroes.This is a wonderful story about love, loyalty, courage and forgiveness with beautiful black-and-white drawings that enhance the narration. The reader, whom the author addresses directly, is introduced to three main characters: Despereaux, the rat Roscuro and the girl Miggery Sow, with a part each dedicated to their particular storyline before they all converge. It is a gentle tale that takes its time in the telling, but even so the pace could have picked up here and there, and I feel some children may lose interest before the end, which would be a shame as all the individual threads come together to form a satisfying conclusion.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was okay. Instead of the mice, I wish they used different animals. The character's names are great.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A wonderful, sad story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very cute.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I am reading this out loud to my children. So far, it is quite entertaining and a good book for readers around the 5th -6th grade to read. It is not a simple book for them to read as there are words they will not know, but the author is doing a great job in pulling them into the story. I am reading 4 chapters an evening to my kids and they always want more. I tell two of my children that they are strong enough readers at this point to read this on their own if they want to. Hopefully, reading stories like this will help to draw out their desire to read on their own a bit more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very sweet touching story of a brave little mouse. Better than the movie (of course).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very good children's book, I could tell I would have enjoyed this book very much as a tween. But I was expecting more of the movie.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Reading The Tale of Despereaux to my children (age nearly 5 and 6) was the best reading experience we have had so far and the first that was a "real" enough book that I'm entering it in my library.The language in the story is beautiful, the plot keeps you moving along--enough that is predictable that you can follow it, but also many surprises and twists. It is a good introduction to nonlinear storytelling, as each of the successive parts begins earlier than the first and then they all converge together. And the characters are all flawed, but ultimately a combination of hope, forgiveness, storytelling and the metaphorical and literal light win out. But not in a complete happily-ever-after way, but in a complex and mixed way.In all of these ways, it is a good antidote to the black-and-white good and evil and the happily ever after of Disney. It taught my children about virtues and faults, while fully entertaining all of us.It looks like most of Kate DiCamillo's other chapter books are a little old for them, but that won't stop me from reading them on my own.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Decidedly odd style with frequent asides to the reader. Clunky but sweet story of an unlikely mouse hero.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I expected to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. The author's voice (she keeps addressing "Gentle Reader" or something like that) grated on me and the tale didn't engage my attention. I guess my project to read all the Newbery Medal winners will have to be altered to "at least try a spoonful." I got about a quarter of the way through and had no desire to go farther. Your results may differ.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed DiCamillo's book Because of Winn-Dixie, and I've been meaning to read this for a long time, esp. when it won the Newbery. It was a sweet, charming fairy tale spun with humor and warmth. I think it would be a lovely read-aloud for 3rd - 4th graders, maybe even 2nd.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was very cute. I want to read it to my kids, when they exist. It was charming in a way that some kid's books miss the mark on. Not too saccharine, but full of hope and love and adventure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story could be better. The ending is anticlimactic. The illustrations are poorly reproduced and hard to see. It's a wonderful book, though, written in a style that's both whimsical and earnest.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an enjoyable read! DiCamillo does an outstanding job describing the characters, and I love the way she includes the reader in the story, as if they are there. I think kids would really enjoy this book and relate to all of the characters. One of the best children's books I've read in a while!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Occasionally, I wish a book written for children would be taught in high school and college courses, a book for whose sake I would persuade those readers that disdain children's books to just read it. I believe that the majority of quality literary writing is found in books intended for adults, but sometimes, a book written for an audience of eight or nine year olds has as much craft and impact as some of the acclaimed greats. The Tale of Despereaux is a book that I would argue deserves such a place of esteem.The story on the surface is simple, but carries depths of meaning that a child doesn't need to fully plumb in order to enjoy the tale. It begins with the birth of a mouse, Despereaux. Despereaux is not like other mice: he has ears that are too large, and a soul that is too sensitive. Instead of eating books, like a regular mouse should, he reads them. Instead of avoiding humans, like a normal mouse would, he speaks to them. In fact, he falls in love with one, the Princess Pea. Despereaux is a castle mouse, and he reads fairy tales, and he falls in love with a princess. However, this sweet story is a horror to his fellow mice, including his father and mother and his brother, Furlough. They don't hear music, just noise. And they don't believe in love, but in following the rules. When Despereaux's brother sees Despereaux being touched by a human, he reveals it to his father, who shares it with the Council, who come to their usual decision - that Despereaux must be banished from mouse society.Perhaps this punishment doesn't sound that bad, but it is far worse than it appears. The mice send their outcasts to the dungeons, wearing the red thread of death, where the rats will eat them to the bone. Despereaux, thankfully, doesn't die. He is saved by Gregory the jailer in exchange for a story. Actually, it is fortunate that Despereaux goes to the dark depths below the castle, because he learns of Roscuro's plans to kidnap Princess Pea and bring light down into the dark. The story backs up to tell us Chiaroscuro's tragic tale, how he was the only rat to love light, but when he ventured upstairs to see the light and the people and the Princess, he caused a horrible accident merely from the fact that he was a rat, and his heart was broken. As a result, he wanted vengeance, and Despereaux is in the right place to learn about his evil plot. Roscuro's plan will only work with the help of a human, and he finds one, a young girl gullible enough to manipulate to the rat's own ends. The story then backs up again, to tell us about this girl, Miggery Sow, who was brought to the castle as a servant. She has her own very sad back story; her father sold her after her mother died, and her master boxed her ears so continually that he made her near deaf. Her life didn't have one speck of light in it, until she saw Princess Pea riding her horse across the country side one day. With her glittering crown and beautiful dress, she inspired a hope in Miggery Sow, a girl who lived without hope before. Miggery wanted to become a princess. Roscuro convinces her that he can make her dream a reality, Miggery believes him and agrees to help kidnap the princess, and only Despereaux the mouse (with a little help from Princess Pea) can stop them and help untangle all the accumulated grief. With so much sadness, you might expect the book to be a heavy read, but quite the contrary. DiCamillo brushes her subjects with humor and hope. She delivers the weightier ideas with such a delicate touch that the burden feels light. Both adults and children will laugh at certain passages, but adults will laugh with a bittersweet chuckle, with that clench in the heart, knowing that despite the comedy injected into the situation, a true sorrow lies in the thought of an unloved girl sold by her father, a rat who is scorned by the light he loves, and a mouse who is sent to a horrible fate by his kind, escorted to his death by his own brother. Moments of beauty and hope are mixed with tragedy, but the author knows that humor helps to ease the heart break. Another tactic that DiCamillo uses to balance the atmosphere of the book is the narrator. The narrator is third person omnisicient, but frequently breaks the fourth wall by addressing the reader directly. As a result, a camaraderie develops between the narrator and the audience, and the narrator actually becomes a character in the book, one that can deliver judgments and sympathize with the characters when no one else does. The narrator also helps the young audience grasp the themes of the book, about the power of love and hope and light, and how those ideas are connected and more powerful than opposing forces, such as darkness, or following rules without any heart. The book also deals with themes of being true to your nature, and an embrace of differences, keeping in mind that there is a distinction between what is right and moral and what is not, and that is a matter of the heart, not of outward appearance. And, of course, the chance for redemption and healing. Even more, this book is about words. All readers should read this book, because it celebrates the power of language and stories. Despereaux reads the books instead of eating them, and it saves his life which he buys for a story. Roscuro is branded by a word, which causes his disillusionment, and that causes the Queen's death. Miggery Sow can't ever hear words right, because of her ruined ears, and her miscommunications make her easy prey to Roscuro. Even the narrator is involved with the wordplay, as she constantly uses impressive vocabulary words to describe important plot points and themes, and then defines the words to the audience in terms of the story. Such powerful ideas that are packaged in a charming story that is part fairy tale and part heart-pounding adventure, and all wonderful.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book has a nice ending, but it was too violent for my tastes. I wouldn't want to read it to my children. The author relates child abuse as though it's humorous. I found it equally shocking when the same child took up a cleaver to chop a mouse in half. After she accidentally cuts off its tail instead, the reader has to endure descriptions about is bloody stump where the tail used to be. I know this book got a lot of great reviews, but it's not my thing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my favorite book by Kate DiCamillo. I love the story and couldn't stop reading it. I really think kids would love this story because of all the action, adventure and cliffhangers she leaves after each chapter. I would love to read this story to my class someday.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really didn't like this book. The plot was decent but the characters stunk. I gave it an extra star because my mother adores this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despereaux is a small mouse with large ears who loves music and falls in love with a human princess. Roscuro is a dungeon rat who loves light. Miggory Sow is a slow-witted, half-deaf serving girl who longs for more. Their stories intertwine to form one lovely little fairy tale. I think my favorite part was how involved the narrator was, constantly talking directly to the reader as if you're there in the room with them. This is the sort of book I would have enjoyed as a kid.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    ( this is what i wrote for my book report in 5th grade)Once Opon a time there was a mouse names Desperaux, a rat named Roscuro, a servant girl named MIggery Sow and a princess named Pea. The story takes place in a castle where a very tiny mouse was born. This little mouse was named Desperaux, and he was born with unussually large ears and with his eyes wide open! Roscuro the rat was responsible for the death of princess Pea's mother the queen. He fell into her soup and gave her a heart attack. From that day fourth, all soup was banned from the castle. Roscuro decided he loved princess Pea and her glow of happiness, so he captured her and brought her down to the dungeon. Desperaux loved the princess and so he went down to the dark dungeon to save the princess. Miggery Sow wished to be a princess so bad that she agreed to Roscuros evil plan to take the princess Pea down to the dungeon. Desperaux valiantly saves the princess and they became great friends. In the end, Miggery Sow did not get to be a princess, and Roscuro became friends with the kingdom and he was allowed to stay in the castle where there was light. The ban against soup was lifted, and they all ate soup together in the glow of the princess Pea's light.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    5P 5QThe Tale of Despereaux is smartly written and encourges reader feedback and involvement by addressing the reader within the text. I think that the story is a great fantasy tale with several different characters that all children can find a character they love. The book explores deeper concepts beyond good and evil and illustrates many of life's complexities in a way understandable for children of this age group. I think that children will enjoy the humor and subtle details, along with appropriate pen drawings that accompany select passages.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    5Q- well-written classic fantasy. It contains the textbook elements in an easy to read format. The pencil illustrations are well suited to the medieval setting of the fantasy.5P- The story, length, text size, and vocabulary will make this a popular read for emerging or reluctant readers in the mid-elementary grades. The movie adaptation will help make the title well known.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    5Q - a smooth read and a terrific plot5P - wide reader appeal and a movie tie-in
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    5Q 5PAn empowering story of a sweet, unlikely hero. Common fairy tale themes of courage and love are delivered by the tiny mouse Despereaux. With interweaving storylines accessible to young readers, the miniature hero's quest becomes epic and thrilling and surely will enchant his audience.