I must state that Kate DiCamillo did write some amazing books. With the Tale of Despereaux and Beacuse of Winne-Dixie and many more, she is quite the writer!
This tale is about 'and unlikely hero with exceptionally big ears'. This hero's name is Despereaux Tilling. A mouse with large ears, a love for music, stories, and a princess Pea, a sense of adventure, and a sense of courage to match it. Yet The Tale of Despereaux belongs to another two characters: a rat by the named of Roscuro, living in the darkness with a love for light, and Miggery Sow, a girl with one impossible dream. However, to say the least, Miggery Sow is not the sharpest pencil in the pencil box.
"This story begins within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse. A small mouse. The last mouse born to his parents and the only one of his litter to be born alive." -- page 11
So begins the amazing story of Despereaux. A unique, mouse never heard of before. But the castle he is in has a timely, fateful story to go along with mice. And to say that the King disliked mice would be a euphemism. From the very beginning of the book, readers can tell that Desperaux is not an ordinary, nor normal mouse. He is different. And his life isn't off to a very good start.
"Have I mentioned that beneath the caste there was a dungeon? In the dungeon there were rats. Large rats. Mean rats.
Despereaux was destined to meet those rats.
Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform." --Page 25
Meanwhile, a mouse named Chiaroscuro, called Roscuro's story begins backward in time, several years before the mouse Despereaux was born. His story is one of a rat exposed to light. And soon, Roscuro's wish is to see the light again, which, unfortunately, in the dark world he lives in, is no easy thing. Roscuro is told he is evil- that he has nothing to do with light. But in every heart there is at least a bit of good. And in Rosuro's there is an amount not easily found in a rat.
And our third character, Miggery Sow, is finally introduced. Miggery Sow is "a girl born into this world many years before the mouse Despereaux and the rat Chiroscuro, a girl born far from the castle, a girl named for her father's favourite prize-winning pig." The start of Miggery Sow's story is not a happy one, but hopefully, even her story will have a happily-ever after.
With those three destined to meet, in a horrible dungeon or a glittering castle, what happens to them? Reader, it is your destiny to find out.
In the Tale of Despereaux are four books combined to weave a story of light, darkness, and love.
Book the First
A MOUSE IF BORN
9
Book the Second
CHIAROSCURO
83
Book the Third
GOR! THE TALE OF MIGGERY SOW
123
Book the Fourth
RECALLED TO THE LIGHT
173
Coda
270
Kate DiCamillo weaves another tale of friendship, love, and adventure. With lovely illustrations, this book is a must-read for kids from 8 to 11. The Tale of Despereaux will absorb you into the story of a mouse, a rat, and a human.
This book has a great plot, great characters, and hidden within the layers, a great deal on the feelings of humanity. The Tale of Despereaux will be enjoyed by children all around. If something to pick at, it had a bit too much of the authour talking to the Reader.
***I give this book a 9.8 out of 10!!!!***
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