The Tale of Despereaux facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Tale of Despereaux

First edition
Author	Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator	Timothy B. Ering
Cover artist	Davis Right
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Candlewick Press
Publication date	August 25, 2003
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	276
ISBN	0-7636-1722-9
OCLC	50693525
LC Class	PZ8.D525 Tal 2003

The Tale of Despereaux is a children's fantasy book written by Kate DiCamillo. It was published in 2003. The story is about a brave mouse named Despereaux Tilling. He goes on an exciting adventure to save a beautiful human princess from some rats. This book won a special award called the Newbery Medal in 2004.

Book Awards and Recognition

This book is very popular! In 2007, the U.S. National Education Association chose it as one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." They picked it based on an online survey. Teachers also made it a fun summer reading project. In 2012, School Library Journal ranked it number 51 among all-time children's novels. This shows how much people love The Tale of Despereaux.

Story Summary

The book tells the tale of a brave mouse, Despereaux. He sets out to save Princess Pea from danger.

Book I: A Mouse Is Born

The first part of the story introduces Despereaux. He is a tiny, often sick mouse born in a castle. Unlike other mice, Despereaux loves to read books. He especially enjoys a story about a knight saving a princess. One day, he hears beautiful music. He follows the sound and finds Princess Pea and King Philip. Despereaux falls in love with the princess and even speaks to her.

However, talking to humans is against mouse rules. Despereaux's brother, Furlough, tells their father, Lester Tilling. The mouse council decides to punish Despereaux. They send him to the dark dungeon. There, he meets Gregory, the jailer. Despereaux tells Gregory a story about light. This story saves him from the dungeon's dangers.

Book II: Chiaroscuro

This part focuses on a rat named Roscuro. He was different from other rats. Roscuro loved light, unlike the other mean rats. He decided to explore the bright castle. He climbed onto a chandelier during a big dinner. But he fell right into the queen's soup! The queen was shocked and sadly passed away.

Princess Pea was very upset with Roscuro. She told him to leave. Roscuro felt angry and wanted to get back at the princess. Because of this sad event, the king banned spoons, soup, bowls, and rats from the castle.

Book III: The Tale of Miggery Sow

Many years before Despereaux and Roscuro were born, there was a girl named Miggery "Mig" Sow. When she was six, her sick mother died. Her father then sold Mig to a man for some cigarettes and a hen. Mig called this man "Uncle." Uncle often hit Mig's ears, which made her partly deaf.

One day, Mig saw Princess Pea riding a horse. Mig decided she wanted to be a princess too. Later, the king's soldiers found Mig. They told "Uncle" that no one can own another person. So, Mig was sent to work in the castle. She became a servant and gained weight, though her head stayed small. Mig's main job was to take food to Gregory the jailer in the dungeons. There, she met Roscuro. Mig told him her biggest wish was to become a princess. Roscuro tricked Mig. He said if she helped him kidnap Princess Pea, he would make her a princess.

Book IV: Recalled to the Light

Despereaux escapes the dungeon on Gregory's food tray. He hears Mig and Roscuro talking about their plan. Soon, Mig and Cook find Despereaux. Cook, who hates mice, tells Mig to kill him. Despereaux tries to run away. Mig chops off his tail with a knife to show Cook she got part of the "meecy." Despereaux spends the night in pain, sleeping on a flour sack. He dreams of knights, darkness, and light. He starts to doubt happy endings. Meanwhile, Roscuro leads Mig to Princess Pea's room. They plan to take the princess to the dungeon.

The next morning, the castle is in chaos. Princess Pea is missing! Guards search the dungeon. They find Gregory, the jailer, dead from fear. Roscuro had chewed his rope, making him lost in the dark mazes. The mouse council sees Despereaux, covered in flour. They think he is a ghost. Despereaux forgives his father for sending him to the dungeon. He then goes to see the King. Despereaux tells the King that Pea is in the dungeon. But the King does not believe him because Despereaux is related to rats.

Despereaux then visits Hovis, the thread master. Hovis gives him a spool of red thread and a sewing needle. Despereaux will use the needle as a sword. On his way, he meets Cook. She is so worried about Pea that she is secretly making soup, which is against the law. Instead of attacking Despereaux, she offers him some soup. Mig learns that Roscuro tricked her. She will never be a princess. Roscuro wants Pea to stay in the dungeon so he can look at her bright dress. But Despereaux arrives to save Pea. Mig chops off Roscuro's tail when he refuses to show them the way back. Many rats arrive, drawn by the smell of Despereaux and the soup he ate. Despereaux threatens Roscuro with his needle-sword. Roscuro smells the soup on Despereaux. He realizes he does not want to hurt anyone and starts crying. Pea offers Roscuro some soup if he lets her go. Roscuro agrees. Botticelli and the other rats are disgusted by this happiness. They return to the darkness.

Despereaux and Pea become close friends. Roscuro is allowed to go upstairs in the castle. He helps Mig's father, who was a prisoner, reunite with his daughter. Mig's father promises to love Mig and never leave her. Before this, Roscuro, Mig, the King, Pea, and Despereaux all share soup together. Despereaux's friend Hovis, his parents, and his brother watch in amazement.

Main Characters

Here are some of the important characters you'll meet in the story:

• Despereaux Tilling - He is the main character, a lonely castle mouse. He was born small, with big ears and open eyes. Unlike other mice, he loves reading books instead of eating them. He learns about bravery from stories of knights. Despereaux falls in love with Princess Pea. His unique behavior leads him to the dungeon. There, he must be brave to save himself and the princess.

• Princess Pea - She is the princess of Dor. Pea is a kind and beautiful girl. Despereaux loves her from their first meeting. Pea feels lonely after her mother's death. She is used to being a princess. However, her actions lead to her kidnapping. She then uses her kindness and royal position to help others.

• Chiaroscuro (known as "Roscuro") - He is a rat born in the castle dungeon. Roscuro is different from other rats. He loves light and goodness. But his love for light accidentally causes the queen's death. This makes him want revenge on the humans. He plans to kidnap Princess Pea. In the end, Despereaux and Pea help him find his way back to goodness.

• Miggery "Mig" Sow - Mig grew up in the countryside. She was often treated badly. Her mother died young, and her father sold her. She worked for a man she called "Uncle." He hit her ears, making her partly deaf. Despite her hard life, Mig was kind-hearted but simple. She dreamed of becoming a princess after seeing the royal family. Soldiers rescued her from slavery. She became a serving-maid in the castle. Mig became friends with Princess Pea. She was tricked by Roscuro into helping his plan.

• Botticelli Remorso - He is a very old rat with one ear. He lives in the dungeon. Botticelli believes life is about suffering, especially others' suffering. He wants Roscuro to be more like the other rats. He wears a golden heart-shaped locket. Botticelli is evil and wants the princess to die. He tries to trick Despereaux and feed the princess to his rats.

• Merlot - She is Despereaux's sister.

• Gregory the Jailer - He is the jailer in the dungeon. Despereaux tells him a story, which saves Despereaux from the rats. Gregory wears a long rope to avoid getting lost in the dark dungeon. Roscuro chews this rope. Gregory gets lost and dies in the darkness.

• Furlough Tilling - He is one of Despereaux's older brothers. Furlough betrays Despereaux. He sends him to the dungeon. He tried to teach Despereaux to be afraid. Furlough disliked Despereaux for being different. He refused to help his brother when he was banished.

• Lester Tilling - He is the father of Despereaux and his siblings. He sent his own son to the dungeon for punishment. He was sad about it, though. Later, Despereaux forgives his father.

• Antoinette Tilling - She is Despereaux's French mother. She came to Dor in a diplomat's luggage. Antoinette cares a lot about how she looks. She is often picky. She is sad when Despereaux is thrown into the dungeon. She sometimes defends him.

• Cook - She is the head cook of the castle. Cook hates mice. But she secretly makes soup, even though it is banned.

• King Philip - He is the king of Dor and Princess Pea's father. He was heartbroken when the queen died from eating soup. He banned soup, rats, and soup-making tools. He did not believe Despereaux when he tried to tell him about Princess Pea's kidnapping.

Other Versions of the Story

The Tale of Despereaux has been made into other fun things!

Movie

In 2008, the book became an animated movie. It has the same name as the book.

Stage Musical

In 2018, the PigPen Theatre Co. turned the book into a musical play.

Video Game

A video game based on the book was released on December 2, 2008. You could play it on Nintendo DS, Wii, and PlayStation 2. It also came out for PC on December 16, 2008.

• Griswold, Jerry, "'The Tale of Despereaux': A World Without sad Soup", The New York Times, 16 November 2003