Module 6 Book Reviews: Fantasy

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
2004 Winner of the John Newbery Medal

1. Bibliography
DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. The Tale of Despereaux. Ill. by Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617229.

2. Plot Summary
A little mouse named Despereaux falls in love with all the un-mousy things - reading, music, sunlight, and the princess, and for this he is banished to the dungeon. Gregory the jailor helps Despereaux escape the dungeon, and it is during this escape that he learns of the rat's plan to abduct the princess. Despereaux prepares for battle in order to save the princess and punish the evil rat, who, as it turns out, loves all the un-ratty things that Despereaux loves - things like sunlight and soup. The princess promises Despereaux and the rat all of their favorite things in exchange for her freedom and none of the three could be any happier.

3. Critical Analysis
Of the six basic fantasy motifs identified by Jacobs and Tunnell for modern fantasy, this story involves Magic, Heroism (the hero crosses the threshold into a place that is no longer safe and secure, the hero must survive various trials in the new environment, the hero is assisted by a protective figure, the hero matures - becoming "whole" person, and the hero returns home), and Good Versus Evil. Another motif typical of the traditional fantasy fairytale that is present in this story is the triumph of the youngest, smallest, and least powerful character (hope).

The magic motif consists of the animals talking with each other and with the human characters. The talking animals are mice and rats. The mouse, Despereaux, is also able to read and his mother, Antoinette, wears make-up. The Mouse Council convenes to condemn Despereaux to the dungeon for not following the strict code of conduct for mice. The dungeon and his escape to the castle (but not to the safety of his mouse-holes) serve as the dangerous places in which the little mouse survives various trials. In the dungeon Gregory the Jailor is the protective figure. "Here in this dungeon, you are in the treacherous dark heart of the world. And if Gregory was to release you, the twistings and turnings and dead ends and false doorways of the place would swallow you for all eternity." He survives the frightening enounter with total darkness, escapes sure death by rat, becomes coated with cooking oil and flour, then loses his tail to a chopping knife. As a result of his hardships, Despereaux becomes the "whole" person. He strives for "honor, courtesy, devotion, and bravery," the threadmaster's advice prior to his condemnation. "Despereaux stood before the Mouse Council, and he realized that he was a different mouse than he had been the last time he faced them. He had been to the dungeon and back up out of it. He knew things that they would never know; what they thought of him, he realized, did not matter, not at all." Despereaux is also able to forgive his father for placing him before the Mouse Council for condemnation. As for the battle of good and evil, Despereaux represents all that is good (light) and the greedy rats represent all that is evil (darkness.) Despereaux must face the evil rats in order to save the princess from depths of the dungeon. At the end of the story, Despereaux does not return home, per say, but does finally receive the approval of the mice. "And peeking out from behind a dusty velvet curtain, looking in amazement at the scene before them, are four other mice." "He lives. He lives! And he seems such the happy mouse," proclaims his mother, Antoinette.

As for the element of triumph of the weak in traditional fantasy fairytales - we have Despereaux. Despereaux, so named because of his mother's disapointment in him, is the youngest child of Antoinette and is born a very peculiar mouse - very small with large ears and open eyes, and sickly. As he grows up he strays from the ways of the mouse and adores light, music, and reading. Early on his father says, "There's something wrong with him. Leave him alone." Through the story Despereaux is ostracized by the entire mouse community. His own brother is one of the mice that kicks him into the dungeon. Having read a fairytale in the library (which is a guaranteed happy ending), Despereaux imagines himself as the knight in shining armor whose duty it is to save the princess. This gives the reader hope of a happy ending and gives Despereaux the confidence he needs to become the hero. And the ending is your typical, all's well that ends well fairytale, with Despereaux and the princess living happily ever after.

4. Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "With memorable characters, brief chapters, and inventive plot twists, this fast-paced romp is perfect for reading alone or sharing aloud."
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "This is a tale made for reading aloud and family enjoyment."

5. Connections
To learn more about the author and writing as an author, compare these websites:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writer.asp?z=y&cid=1137300 (includes audio)
http://www.katedicamillo.com/
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6312766.html (includes video)
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp