The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo

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

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo is a simply wonderful story. It’s about a tiny mouse with big ears who falls in love with a princess, a rat who loves the light, and a young servant girl who dreams of becoming a princess. The book is woven together in such a way that makes you care about every chapter and paragraph.

The suggestion for this post was made to me by my little brother. I read this book aloud to him a few years ago when he was about seven. It’s one of my favorite books we’ve read together. There is so much humor in this book, and yet it is an amazing story at the same time. It is perfect for all ages, and yet the writing is so entertaining, and the story is so beautiful, that you never have the uncomfortable feeling it was only meant for children.

Around the time we finished the book was around the same time I was teaching him how to keep a book log (I wrote a blog post a couple weeks ago on how to keep one here). After he finished a book I would copy out the title and author for him, along with his rating of it and any thoughts he had. After giving The Tale of Despereaux a five star review, he added “I would give it a thousand stars if I could!”

There were so many passages from the book that he adored. In the back of his book log I had a place to copy out his favorite book quotes. He gave me over a full page of writing on this one! All the lines quoted in this post were the ones he had me write out.

Age Appropriateness

There was a long moment of silence, and then Roscuro said to the queen, "I beg your pardon."
-p. 111

While this book is a wonderful story to be read with your family or siblings, there is some content to be aware of when doing so with sensitive children.

For one thing, this book includes the sad story of Miggery Sow. As I explain below, she is treated with anger and ‘clouts’ to the ear by the man who bought her. Not to mention the fact that her father sold her without a second thought. It’s a very sad scene, and written as such.

Another thing to watch out for in this book is the often dark, and often frightening, dungeon.

These are both very small things, however. The sad and scary topics are far outweighed by the outrageously hilarious lines, the gripping story, and the beautiful themes. Unless you are wanting to read this to an extremely sensitive child, I do not think they are reasons to pass this book by. Yes, they are good to know about, but do not let that stop you from enjoying the rest of this book!

Besides, you’re always permitted to skip a line or two while reading aloud if you feel it best. 😉

Meet the Characters

"The answer is... yes. Of course it's ridiculous. Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful and powerful. And Despreaux's love for the Princess Pea would prove, in time, to be all of these things. Powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous. -p. 32

Despereaux Tilling is a very small mouse who has unusually large ears. He reads the beautiful stories in the library instead of nibbling their pages as a mouse is supposed to do. Despereaux is a disappointment to his family.

One day he follows a lovely sound to the Princess Pea, and that sends him to a powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous fate that will forever change his life. Despereaux has fallen in love.

Roscuro is a rat. That really should be all that needs saying. And yet, there is more.

A long time ago he had a fateful meeting of light. Roscuro saw what a glorious, beautiful thing light is, and now he cannot tolerate the darkness. This leads him to much trouble, and a wild plan for capturing what of the light he can find, and keeping it forever.

Miggery Sow is a little orphan girl who lives with a man who gives her a clout on the ear whenever he takes it in his mind to. When she was younger her mother died, and her father sold her for a red cloth, a hen, and a handful of cigarettes.

Since she was very little Mig has been told that no one in the whole wide world cares what she wants. If they had cared to noticed, however, they would have seen an unloved child who dreams of becoming a princess.

So there you have it. The three main characters in this story. They all have been rejected, forgotten, unloved. And they all have some great desire that will change the plot of the story.

Light and Darkness

Reader, do you think that it is a terrible thing to hope when there is really no reason to hope at all? Or is it, (as the soldier said about happiness) something that you might just as well do, since, in the end, it really makes no difference to anyone but you? -p. 144

Doesn’t that quote make you pause for just a moment and consider what it has to say? That’s what I love about this book. Not only does it tell a story that is funny and serious, happy and sad, but it throws in little quotes like this.

This quote tells so much about this book. Surrounded on all sides by good and evil, light and darkness, the characters are faced continually with the decision of choosing hope. The people around them have found a place of living through the days in fear and blandness, but the characters have seen something more.

The Bible says that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) That is very truly shown by this quote.

But there’s another question sparked from this passage. Is hope worthwhile? Is it a terrible thing to do? Is it an action to comfort, though perhaps not create change?

One of my favorite verses on hope is Psalm 42: 5-6.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me? 
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 
my salvation and my God.

When placed in unwanted situations, we are called to hope in the Lord. He is our salvation, our Savior. He has never let us go, and never will.

In conclusion, hope is not in vain.

Final Thoughts

This is a compelling story about light and darkness. Kate DiCamillo knows the full meaning of what a story is, and her book is evidence of that. It is my favorite book by her to date, and the one that displays the strongest spiritual meanings.

So if you have never read this book, go do that. If you have read the book, go reread it. You will be so glad you chose to do so.

Have you read this book before? What were your thoughts? What did you like/not like about it?