The Tale of Despereaux, a Newbery Award book

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo

I must admit that I was surprised and captivated by the story of Despereaux, a mouse who becomes a most unlikely hero and rescues a princess. The fact that Despereaux was unlike the other mice with such big ears, small size, attraction to light and the ability to love endears him to the reader from the beginning of the story. I can see how children would enjoy the hero of the story, the "oddball" of the mice. You can't help but love the character who admits his fears and then rises above those fears as he becomes truly brave.

I have always enjoyed reading fairy tales, especially as a child. The author creates some interesting twists to the "traditional" fairy tale roles. The princess is sweet and caring but has lost her mother. The king, as revealed by the author, is not "the sharpest knife in the drawer". The villain is a rat, who even at the end you can not help but feel sorry for because he wants the same as the other characters, to have light in his life. The hero is not a handsome prince, but merely a mouse who does not fit into his own world. In using these differences in the "traditional" roles the author has created a story that held my attention as I wanted to know, "Is the princess saved? Will there be a happily ever after?" I enjoyed the ending and was very pleased with how the "loose ends" of the story were brought together and the characters' lives were better in the end (even the evil villain, who is granted free access to the light of the castle.)The story reveals such concepts as love and forgiveness in a simplified manner so the young reader can understand what would motivate a small mouse to become so brave.

I enjoyed the author's writing style in this story. From time to time the reader is addressed and guided to think about the character's motivation within that part of the story. I am sure that readers will learn and begin to use the word "perfidy" in their own vocabulary as the author challenges their thoughts on its meaning. I was also pleased to find the author shared her motivation for writing this story. This would be an interesting concept for young readers to investigate with other stories.

As I have enjoyed this book I now feel I must read Because of Winn Dixie to see if the author uses the same style of writing. I have not read a book before where the reader is addressed and led through the development of the story. I enjoyed the interaction and wonder if it is used in other DiCamillo writings.