The Tale of Despereaux cover art

The Tale of Despereaux

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The Tale of Despereaux

By: Kate Di Camillo
Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
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About this listen

 From the award-winning author Kate DiCamillo comes the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbours a simple, impossible wish. These three characters embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives.

The Tale of Despereaux is a timeless classic fairy tale with a modern twist, full of quirky, unforgettable characters - already a modern children's classic and now brought to life in audio.

©2003 Kate Di Camillo (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Action & Adventure Animals Animals & Nature Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths Literature & Fiction

Critic Reviews

"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious..." ( Booklist, starred review).
"With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud... This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun." ( School Library Journal)
"This delightful book works on many levels; it is a morality tale, an adventure story and a romantic fairytale too." ( Sydney's Child).
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Author and Reader together artfully draw the listener inexplicably in a world where parents betray children, girls have cauliflower ears, & rats wear red capes. The light of love and the darkness of anger and hurt are explored as listeners are encouraged to empathise with each character's complex personalities, situations and choices, all couched within light hearted comic relief and Soup. A tale that at the same time acknowledges life is never "Happily Ever After" while allowing listeners to walk away with something not unlike "Happily Ever After", with the hope of restoration & with a smile. A beautiful story, layered for children and children at heart.

Beautiful story with understated comedy

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I loved the story and the reader. Despereaux is a brave and sweet little mouse.

Despereaux

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it was ok to me. It has a good story but the performance is not great

it is ok

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.