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

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Kate DiCamillo, author of the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, spins a tidy tale of mice and men where she explores the "powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous" nature of love, hope, and forgiveness. Her old-fashioned, somewhat dark story, narrated "Dear Reader"-style, begins "within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse." Despereaux Tilling, the new baby mouse, is different from all other mice. Sadly, the romantic, unmouselike spirit that leads the unusually tiny, large-eared mouse to the foot of the human king and the beautiful Princess Pea ultimately causes him to be banished by his own father to the foul, rat-filled dungeon.

The first book of four tells Despereaux's sad story, where he falls deeply in love with Princess Pea and meets his cruel fate. The second book introduces another creature who differs from his peers--Chiaroscuro, a rat who instead of loving the darkness of his home in the dungeon, loves the light so much he ends up in the castle& in the queen's soup. The third book describes young Miggery Sow, a girl who has been "clouted" so many times that she has cauliflower ears. Still, all the slow-witted, hard-of-hearing Mig dreams of is wearing the crown of Princess Pea. The fourth book returns to the dungeon-bound Despereaux and connects the lives of mouse, rat, girl, and princess in a dramatic denouement.

Children whose hopes and dreams burn secretly within their hearts will relate to this cast of outsiders who desire what is said to be out of their reach and dare to break "never-to-be-broken rules of conduct." Timothy Basil Ering's pencil illustrations are stunning, reflecting DiCamillo's extensive light and darkness imagery as well as the sweet, fragile nature of the tiny mouse hero who lives happily ever after. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul-stirring as it is delicious." — BOOKLIST (starred review)

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. 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, with twenty-four stunning black-and-white illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering. This paperback edition pays tribute to the book's classicdesign, featuring a rough front and elegant gold stamping.

Customer Reviews:

Totally Enchanting!.......2007-09-17

This is an enchanting story full of magic intertwined with real world truths, evil step "uncles", hardened rats, and uncaring employers as well as a heroic mouse, and a charming princess. I think it would be an enjoyable read aloud for younger students and a fine diversion for adults and everyone in between. You can take what you want from this book, a simple light fairy tale or as a journey into a philosophy of light and dark. I disagree with the reviewers who felt that the princess was portrayed as good only because of her beauty. The author clearly lets the readers know that the princess possesses far greater attributes, such as kindness and empathy, which give her an inner light that far outshines any physical beauty she possesses. In the end, light prevails because the main characters, Princess Pea and Despereaux have exhibited both hope and love. But, as I mentioned before, you can make what you will from this captivating tale. I found it very enjoyable and hope to read more by this talented author.

Loved the mouse, not the story.......2007-09-11

Despereaux is an endearing character and the story starts out excitedly with his adventures. It goes downhill from there. There is little to endear all the other characters (besides Despereaux) in the book to anyone. They're all terribly stupid, cruel, lemmings, or simple. And there is no sympathy for anybody. I was not at all enchanted with the plotline, nor how their stories came together.

I really wanted to love this book, I savored reading it and put it off for years looking forward to it. But after reading it, I was unfortunately disappointed in the tale. I would have to alternatively recommend highly, as another reader did, the REDWALL series, and POPPY. And STUART LITTLE or CHARLOTTE'S WEB.

A Kid's Review.......2007-07-30

I really did not like this book very much because I don't like to read about people dying. It was also hard to tell sometime what was a dream in the book and what was really a part of the story. I think it was confusing to read sometimes. I liked the characters of Despereaux and Princess Pea. I also like reading about Miggery Sow when she was little, but I didn't like her when she got older.

Well written, but not light hearted.......2007-07-03

This is a well written story and very quick to read. Each chapter isonly a few pages long. Making it ideal for kids or are just graduating from their first chapter books into longer books. Desperaux is a mouse with a dream, he is in love with the Princess Pea and due to his innate ability to read and appreaciate a story about a knight, he envisions himself as Pea's knight in shining armor.

Which by the end of the book is ends up b eing, in his own mouse way.

The characters have a sweetness to them, but they all have a great sadness to them as well, it is a darker story than I was originally anticipating from just the story synopsis. While things all get resolved in the end it still isn't exactly a happily ever after.

Beautiful Tale of Strength.......2007-06-30

Every now and then I come across a story that just brings a smile across my face, a story that is heart warming and classic. Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux is one of these stories. The complete title is The Tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. It's perfectly illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering.

DiCamillo opens her story with the following beautiful passage:

"The world is dark, and light is precious.
Come closer dear reader.
You must trust me.
I am telling you a story."

And she proceeds to do so. Despereaux Tilling is the only surving member of his mothers litter. His ears are too big, his body is too small, and he is very un-mouselike. Instead of munching on books, Despereaux would rather read them. He reads a fantasy tale of a night in shining armor who rescues a princess and falls in love and then meets his own princess...and he falls in love with her. But he socializes with her when he is not supposed to and is rejected by the other mice. Meanwhile, we meet a rat who loves the light when he should only love the dark of the dungeons, and we meet a young girl named Miggery Sow who has never been asked what she wants and has been rejected and abused by everyone she has known.

What DiCamillo has given to children and adults alike is a story of overcoming boundaries. This is a powerful book. It is a book of finding strength in times of hopelessness, of finding light when there is only darkness. She doesn't sugar coat the world for her young readers. She admits that there is evil in the world and she acknowledges that open faced. But she offers a beacon of hope to youth who can relate to those characters. She teaches us what empathy is in this book, and paints that picture of seeing a situation from a certain person's viewpoint well.

This was a beautiful book and highly entertaining. I was so happy to read a book that faced issues full force and handled them appropriately. As a counselor, I can see this book being used in a therapeutic way as well, and I'm sure it has been. I look forward to reading more of DiCamillo's work. There was an excerpt from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at the end of this book, and I think that may be the next book I read of hers.

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

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The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
Kate Dicamillo
Manufacturer: SCHOLASTIC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000XBRTTG

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread.(Book Review)(Children's review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch

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The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread.(Book Review)(Children's review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch
JoAn W. Martin
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B00081X6Q6
Release Date: 2006-10-06

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Reviewer's Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 558 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread.(Book Review)(Children's review)
Author: JoAn W. Martin
Publication: Reviewer's Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review, Children's Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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The Tale Of Despereaux - Being The Story Of A Mouse, A Princess, Some Soup, And A Spool Of Thread
Kate; Illustrated by Ering, Timothy Basil Dicamillo
Manufacturer: Candlewick Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1RPA2

Book Description

It is now increasingly recognized that forests have multiple functions, and can provide opportunities for leisure, recreation and tourism, and other environmental benefits, as well as timber. In general, such "public goods" are assumed not to be marketable. However, this book challenges this assumption, and shows how these issues can be tackled from an economics and marketing perspective. The work is based on an EU-funded project, conducted from four university or research centers: Hamburg (Germany), Padua (Italy), Vienna (Austria) and Wageningen (The Netherlands). Many case studies and original surveys are presented from these countries, which provide practical solutions to market these forest enterprises. These empirical data are then related to economic models concerning public goods.

Book Description

Collection from Seattle cartoonist Ellen Forney.

Customer Reviews:

Funny and revealed and well-observed.......2000-04-10

I may be biased, since I, too, was seven in '75, but I found this collection to be quite entertaining. There are several true stories from Ms. Forney's childhood each told through a series of 1-page comics. Each one includes loads of small details from the 70s that will be familiar to most readers (from CB radios to Pop-Rocks to rainbows on everything to Judy Blume, and so on). Most of the amusement comes from the asides that the author makes while relating the stories (although they are all told from her childhood perspective) and from the pre-cynical view that most of the characters have of the world. My favorite stories are the nudist camp story and the forced book report on Judy Blume's Forever.

Ms. Forney's artwork is mostly simple and pleasing, and she does include some more detailed drawings done from photographs of her childhood.

A family album like no other.......1999-11-02

Ellen Forney's look at her childhood will make you laugh out loud as she lets you relive her (and your own!) best and worst moments... You can't ask for a better tribute to one's family than this.

Average customer rating:

A humorous look at the artist's childhood through comics

I Was Seven in '75
Ellen Forney
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0966025881

Customer Reviews:

A humorous look at the artist's childhood through comics.......1997-12-17

Ellen Forney's autobiographical comic strip "I Was Seven in 75" has been run for years here in Seattle papers, it's great to see that it's finally available in paperback! Her stories of growing up in the 70s are humorous, insightful, and really remind us of things we had almost forgotten. I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to everyone.

Book Description

10 Steps to Successfully Managing Recording Artists outlines the steps essential to effectively managing an artist. It should be choice reading for new and aspiring managers, as well as established and seasoned veteran managers. Artists and industry professionals alike can also use this book as a personal guide for reviewing and identifying the characteristics of a successful and competent manager.

Over two decades of music entertainment experience
Tour Manager--Surface (JVC) Japan Blue Note Tour
Conference/Seminar Panelist--Jack the Rapper, Philadelphia Music Conference, Southeast Music and Entertainment Summit, Ear 2 Da Streets Music Conference, and Route One South Music Conference
National Radio Promotions Ruffhouse/ Columbia Records
Song Placement and A&R Consultation: Michael Jackson, Guy, Monifah, BlackStreet, and 702
Provided Regional Radio, Retail, Club, Video, Street, and Lifestyle Promotional Services for: Warner Brothers, Sony/550, Universal, Motown, Atlantic, Death Row, and several others...
2003-2004 National Dean's List Award Winner
2004 National Registers Who's Who in Executives and Professionals

"Good management is important to sustaining and maintaining a long and successful career. This book captures key points that are essential and very useful to managers and artists who may be seeking or evaluating their management."
--Teddy Riley, recording artist/producer/songwriter (Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, SWV, BlackStreet, Janet Jackson, Guy)

"This book contains very valuable information and I rate it high on the list of must reads for managers."
--Vincent Herbert, producer/songwriter (Dionne Warwick, Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Tatyana Ali)

Customer Reviews:

more philosophy than technique.......2006-04-08

Though this book offers excellent guidance on observing ethical and moral standards in the artist management business, it offers very little in the way of the nuts and bolts of the business. It is a good read and points out a lot of valuable thoughts, I only rated it three stars because I found the title misleading, and it is not what I expected it to be.

Still, I think it offers valuable advise for anyone in any business.

Book Description

Shakespeare in Theory: The Postmodern Academy and the Early Modern Theater offers a provocative, highly original premise: that present-day literary criticism and theory have been shaped by the same institutional forces that shaped the theater of Shakespeare's day. Stephen Bretzius argues that Shakespeare's poetry and drama have been central to the development of postwar literary and cultural criticism, not just because his works validate these various critical approaches, but because the approaches variously replay his works, from the theater of the Renaissance to the contemporary American university. Where early modern theater once usurped the university, the postmodern university now refashions the theater, recasting in a theoretical register the same disappearing subjects, ideological contradictions, and imperialist illusions that it uncovers in Shakespeare.

Individual chapters provide provocative interpretations of various postwar critical schools and Shakespearean dramas, including the New Historicism and Hamlet, feminism and The Taming of the Shrew, pragmatism and Henry V. Other approaches, including psychoanalysis, multiculturalism, feminism, deconstruction, and nuclear criticism are brought to bear on Love's Labor Lost, Julius Caesar, and Othello. A final chapter on Shakespeare and the Beatles provides a lively conclusion to an imaginative and thought-provoking volume.

"A wonderful book, both witty and incisive in its analysis of cold war literary theory. Bretzius proves the astounding thesis that Shakespearean plot provides the archetypes of theoretical desire for the postwar academy. Paul de Man, Jacques Derrida, Stephen Greenblatt, René Girard, Joel Fineman, pragmatists and feminists alike, appear among the cast of characters in the postmodern play-within-a-play called the 'University.' Bretzius's strong readings of Shakespeare and literary theory will instruct Renaissance and theory scholars alike and amuse a wide audience of readers." --Tobin Siebers, University of Michigan

Stephen Bretzius is Lecturer, Chaffey College.

Customer Reviews:

Amusing and insightful........1999-09-22

Bretzius' book is entertaining and insightful on Shakespeare's work and on the dynamics of Shakespearean criticism. The section on the Beatles and Shakespeare rejuvenated my interest in both. The book's overall vision of the contemporary academy as state-driven theater seems timely and (not politically) correct. I give it a fab four stars and would throw in another for more on the Beatles and the Bard. Highly recommended. --M. Oliver, Orlando.

A journal entry for other specialists; terms undefined.......1999-02-03

This book nearly incomprehensible. The author fails to define terms. The insider chatty style makes it appear he is writing journal entries for other specialists.

The index includes only names of persons, fails to list subjects. Some of the index enties (see, e.g., Booth, Stephen) miscite pages.

I have purchased many university press texts. This is the first disappointment I've experienced.

Incidentally, Amazon's "review" was from the books own jacket.

Book Description

Be amazed at all the ways Google's at your service!

Here's how to find your way through all the information Google offers

More than a search engine, Google has become a lifestyle. This book introduces you to the rest of the Google family - valuable tools such as Google Maps, Google Video, Google Earth, Google Scholar, and Gmail. Play Google games, shop with Froogle, or find stuff on your own computer with Google Desktop. The possibilities will make you Google-eyed!

Discover how to
* Refine your results with search operators
* Use Google as an answer engine
* Enjoy one-click searching with Google Toolbar
* Get specific information with Google Labs services
* Simplify e-mail with Gmail

Download Description

Be amazed at all the ways Google's at your service! Here's how to find your way through all the information Google offers More than a search engine, Google has become a lifestyle. This book introduces you to the rest of the Google family - valuable tools such as Google Maps, Google Video, Google Earth, Google Scholar, and Gmail. Play Google games, shop with Froogle, or find stuff on your own computer with Google Desktop. The possibilities will make you Google-eyed! Discover how to * Refine your results with search operators * Use Google as an answer engine * Enjoy one-click searching with Google Toolbar * Get specific information with Google Labs services * Simplify e-mail with Gmail

Customer Reviews:

Google Maps may be the most popular .......2006-07-04

Hill gives an upbeat walkthrough of Google's various offerings, that are separate from its search engine. So you might apply to open a Gmail account, for instance. Though, unlike hotmail or Yahoo, there is no automatic approval, so you'll have to wait to see if Google, for reasons of its own, "likes" you. Fundamentally, there seems little advantage of a gmail account over those of other vendors. It certainly isn't the large amount of space you get. For most users, hotmail and yahoo now have perfectly adequate space.

Google Maps is probably the most entrancing offering. It can be mildly addictive to some users, by introducing an easy way to incorporate geographic visualisation into your data. This merging, done with fairly simple coding, is where Google seems to have won a lot of popularity.

Average customer rating:

Google Search and Rescue for Dummies

Manufacturer: HUNGRY MINDS (TWLD)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H0HRU4

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