The Tale of Despereaux
Review by: Brian Beck
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering
Publisher: Candlewick
Year of Publication: 2004
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy, Adventure
Summary: A action tale about a small and unordinary mouse who is kicked out of his mouse-village for being different. While on his journey, he falls in love with a human princess and has to save her from kidnapping rats. This action-adventure will have the reader excited for Despereaux to save his love and return her to the king.
I found a Horn Book review rating of 2. Other reviews range from 3-5. The reviews said that this book is an "engaging tale" and has also been called "quite handsome" and having "a visually appealing narrative" by other reviewers, respectfully earning it's Newberry Award.
My Review: This has been one of my favorite authors and I have really come to enjoy this story. Although the book lacks illustrations, it is extremely descriptive. It is so carefully written, the details allow the reader to imagine what each character and scene looks like. The story will be sure to keep children excited to read on and learn what happens in this action-adventure fairytale.
How to use it in the Classroom:
This tale is formatted into many short chapters, which is thoughtful towards teachers who want to use this as a read aloud. It allows a chapter or two to be read during a short amount of time that is too short for an actual lesson. It could be presented during a theme on standing out, being different and/or being accepted for who you are. There is also a movie version you could watch to compare and contrast with the book.