The Tale of Despereaux
core novel 2003 The Tale of Despereaux
Record
| First published | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.08 (215,427 ratings, collected 2026-09-25) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780763617226 |
Synopsis
Despereaux Tilling is a very small mouse with very large ears, born in a castle and more interested in music, stories and light than in the business of being a mouse. When he falls in love with the human Princess Pea and dares to speak to her, the mice condemn him and send him down into the castle's dungeon, the domain of the rats. The story then turns back to two other lives that will become tangled with his: Roscuro, a rat who lives in the darkness but longs for the light and the world above, and Miggery Sow, a slow-witted, much-mistreated serving girl who harbours an impossible wish of her own. Told by a narrator who often addresses the reader directly, the three stories draw together toward the princess, the dungeon and the castle above it.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Tale of Despereaux
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Kate DiCamillo
Awards (verified)
- Newbery Medal, 2004: won
Notes
- A small mouse in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea, a rat who longs for the light, and a mistreated serving girl with an impossible wish find their lives entangled in a castle and its dungeon.
Sources
- American Library Association
- Kate DiCamillo (official site)
- American Library Association
- https://www.laraswanderings.com/p/book-review-the-tale-of-despereaux-by-kate-dicamillo
- American Library Association
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