The Tale of Despereaux

Title: The Tale of Despereaux

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering 

Newberry Medal Winner (2004) 

 Imagine a world of courageous mice, devious rats, outlawed soup, and a princess named Pea. These are just a few of the elements present in Kate DiCamillo's modern day fairytale thoughtfully entitled The Tale of Despereaux. The story follows the lives of the main characters Despereaux (a small but mighty mouse), Roscuro (a devious rat who yearns for the light), and Miggery Sow (a miserable servant that dreams of being a princess) and how their lives cross paths. What I liked most about this novel was that each character in the story had something unique to offer and a different perspective to consider. As the reader, I couldn’t help but empathize with all of the characters as they each had a sad (yet ultimately uplifting) story to tell. In the end, I found myself rooting for the “happily ever after” ending most fairy tales depict, and DiCamillo delivered this in her own way.

Stylistically, I don’t think the book could have been better written as a read aloud story. This would be the perfect novel to share with the classroom for several reasons. First off, DiCamillo addresses the reader (or listeners) at the end of each chapter by posing a question, adding her own thoughtful commentary, or giving a vocabulary lesson of sorts. Students could keep a log book of the vocabulary presented and/or answers to the questions posed or simply verbally respond in a classroom discussion. Overall, the way in which the book is written thoroughly engages the students and makes them a part of the story which is something I think is hard to come by. In my opinion, this book is a definite “must have” for any classroom library.