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Interviews | November 19, 2009

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[Editor's note: The following is a reprint of our 2005 interview with John Irving, whose new novel, Last Night in Twisted River, has just come out... Continue »

The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate Dicamillo

The Tale of Despereaux Cover

Awards

Winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Kate DiCamillo introduces a hero for all time!

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. And 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, featuring twenty-four stunning black-and-white illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering, in an elegant design that pays tribute to the best in classic children?s books and bookmaking traditions.

Review:

"Reader, I will let you imagine, for now, how these witticisms of our omniscient narrator come into play; but I must tell you, you are in for a treat." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Review:

"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious....Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm." Ilene Cooper, Booklist (Starred Review)

Review:

"[E]ntirely pleasing....[A] tale with twists and turns, full of forbidden soup and ladles, rats lusting for mouse blood...and all the ingredients of an old-fashioned drama." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Review:

"This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun." School Library Journal (Starred Review)

Synopsis:

From the author of Because of Winn-Dixie comes a fairy tale full of quirky, unforgettable characters, narrated with DeCamillo's trademark humor and heartbreaking poignancy. Illustrations.

About the Author

Kate DiCamillo lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor book, and The Tiger Rising, which was a National Book Award Finalist.

Timothy Basil Ering is the author and illustrator of The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone, and he also created the cover image and interior black-and-white drawings for 33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 5 comments:
ethanelephant, December 17, 2008 (view all comments by ethanelephant)
I'm reading this book at school. And I already wanted to read it so bad. I'm so glad my teacher picked this one out! We're almost done with it, and I wanted to buy it, it's so good. Whenever we stop reading a chapter I am so tense. I wish we could just read the whole book in like a week. I hate having to stop reading each day!
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
rylee1966, October 8, 2008 (view all comments by rylee1966)
My 9 year old daughter's class is reading this book as a class project. I picked it up and read it and couldn't put it down. It is a very good book to read for young and old. My daughter loves reading this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
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(3 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
Amber, March 19, 2008 (view all comments by Amber)
I've read other books by Dicamillo and feel that this may be her best. This is a book that begs (and deserves) to be read out loud. To the commentor who feels abuse was made light of, I would counter that nothing was made light of. This is a very serious book about very serious subjects--love, hope, and the connectedness of all creatures and events.
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(11 of 16 readers found this comment helpful)
View all 5 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780763617226
Subtitle:
Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Author:
Dicamillo, Kate
Illustrator:
Ering, Timothy Basil
Author:
DiCamillo, Kate
Publisher:
Candlewick Press (MA)
Location:
Cambridge, Mass.
Subject:
General
Subject:
Animals - Mice Hamsters Guinea Pigs etc.
Subject:
Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy
Subject:
Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title
Subject:
Mice
Subject:
Fairy tales
Subject:
Juvenile materials
Copyright:
Edition Number:
1st ed.
Series Volume:
107-484
Publication Date:
August 2003
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
Elementary and junior high
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
272
Dimensions:
8.70x6.36x1.05 in. 1.10 lbs.
Age Level:
07-12

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