Book Description:
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. /Content /EditorialReview EditorialReview Source Amazon.com Review /Source Content Kate DiCamillo, author of the Newbery Honor book <I>Because of Winn Dixie</I>, 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.<p> 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.<p> 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) <I> Karin Snelson</I>
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