It took us awhile to finish this one, but here is our review of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering).
The Basics:
Published: August 25, 2003
Length: 272 pages
Reading Level: Age 7-10 (grades 2-5)
Synopsis:
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.
Our Ratings (out of 5 stars):
Guinevere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lindsay: ⭐⭐⭐
Guinevere's Thoughts:
"I loved it! My favorite parts were when Despereaux met the threadmaster and found out his name, and when Despereaux saved the princess."
My Thoughts:
While I did like this book, the story did not grab me the way I had hoped it might. Perhaps my expectations were set a bit too high, but for whatever reason, I was not enraptured by the tale of this very small mouse. For one thing, I expected at least the majority of a book titled The Tale of Despereaux to actually be about Despereaux. This is not so. The book is divided into smaller books, each focusing on a different character, and while I understand that those characters are integral to the story, I did not really care to read entire books about them. I found myself wondering, while reading the books about Roscuro and Miggery Sow, when we'd be getting back to Despereaux's story (Guinevere actually voiced this question a couple of times). The story is not without merit, though I did find it a bit too long and mature for a 4 year old. There are many positive themes and messages including standing up for what's right, being true to yourself, love, courage, empathy, forgiveness, and redemption. There is a strong focus on the juxtaposition of light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, and the reality that sometimes things aren't always nice, fair, and just. I found the description of the treatment of Miggery Sow to be quite cruel and perhaps not age appropriate ( she is sold away as a child and treated terribly, having her ears boxed to the point of having cauliflower ear and being mostly deaf, and being callously informed that nobody cares what she wants) and I also grew quite tired of reading Miggery's favorite expression: "Gor!". The vicious nature of the rats and their focus on torment and suffering was a bit over the top, as well (we get it; the rats are the bad guys) and Despereaux's parents were absolutely vile characters who were willing to allow their son to be imprisoned for the sake of propriety and tradition. Before you start thinking that I hated this book, I did appreciate the overall message and I did find Despereaux himself to be very endearing; I only wish that he had been the main focus of the entire story.
Read it or Leave it?:
If you are considering reading this to your preschooler or kindergartener, leave it. Wait a few years until they are a bit more mature. If your child is a bit older, go ahead and pick it up from your library and read it. You or your child may love it, as my opinion regarding this book does not seem to be a popular one.
Happy reading, everyone! ❤️
