|
Loading... Tales of Desperauxby Kate DiCamillo
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendations
Loading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. 1   tapestry100 | Jan 2, 2010 |  A cute idea that's poorly executed. The plot was decent, but not great. The character descriptions were mediocre. I don't know what I was expecting, but this book definitely fell far short of expectations. Big disappointment. Talking mice tend to be pretty awesome (Redwall, anyone?) but not so in this book's case. Best for much younger children, I suppose. (  )1 callmecayce | Dec 28, 2009 | This is a darling book and I found myself thinking about the characters as I went about my day. They are so well-developed and endearing. I look forward to reading it to a child one day to see if they have the same reaction. I found that I was so touch by the characters that I was sad when the story ended because I missed them. I think this would be a great book to read to a classroom over the course of a month or so. And the illustrations are beautiful. (  )1 hnebeker | Dec 16, 2009 | Have you ever sent yourself on a quest? Or have you escaped from the dungeon just to go back in again? Well, Despereaux has. He was sent to the dungeon for not behaving in ways of a mouse and for falling in love with the princess. Turning the time back, Roscuro the rat accidentally fell into the queen’s soup and killed her and ever since he’s been very angry, wanting revenge. Then this comes together. Roscuro got the princess into the dungeon. This is when Despereaux sent himself on a quest. Can Despereaux make it? Read the book to find out. (  )1 sasgrade4 | Dec 16, 2009 | DiCamillo, K., & Ering, T. B. (2006). The tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. DiCamillo takes the emotion she masterfully used in Because of Winn-Dixie and Tiger Rising, and transfers it to an adventure for a younger audience. Using a “dear reader” narrative approach, DiCamillo works to connect the reader to the sympathetic characters in her tale. Despereaux, a small mouse with a big heart falls in love with a human princess and must descend into the castle’s dungeons to save her from a misguided servant girl and a devious rat. Although DiCamillo’s narrative is split into separate detailed descriptions of each of the story’s major characters, she communicates a story of interconnectedness, cause-and-effect, and tragic fate. Ering’s illustrations depict well DiCamillo’s rich descriptions, offering readers a visual springboard for their imaginations. 1 Dalmlis1 | Dec 16, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Book description |
|
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.
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) --Karin Snelson
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:18 -0400)
The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.
Quick Links |
Wikipedia in English (2)
I was intrigued by this book after a friend recommended DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which is a beautiful cathartic tale of love and loss. The Tale of Despereaux just doesn't seem to have the same impact on me. Ultimately, it is a story of forgiveness and redemption, but it all seemed a little too mannered and forced for my taste. Perhaps in the right hands, this story would be perfect, but I found it lacking in any real substance. It's not a bad tale, but not perfect. (