The Tale of Despereaux

Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
By Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Timothy Basil Erin

Welcome to the story of a tiny mouse with a big heart (and bigger ears) who's in love with music, reading, and a princess named Pea. Kate DiCamillo's enchanting  The Tale of Despereaux is a fairy tale that's fairly different, in which life is for living, soup is for tasting, and rats are not to be trusted.

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about the movie

Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a tiny mouse with oversized ears, befriends a princess named Pea (Emma Watson) and learns to read books—reveling in stories of knights and fair maidens. Banished from his home for being more human than mouse, Despereaux is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), who also wants to hear the tales. But when Pea dismisses Roscuro’s friendship, he becomes the ultimate rat and kidnaps her with help from fellow outsiders Mig (Tracey Ullman). Despereaux is the only one who can rescue Pea…

excerpt from the book

DESPEREAUX'S SIBLINGS tried to educate him in the ways of being a mouse. His brother Furlough took him on a tour of the castle to demonstrate the art of scurrying. "Move side to side," instructed Furlough, scrabbling across the waxed castle floor. "Look over your shoulder all the time, first to the right, then to the left. Don't stop for anything."
Read an Excerpt of Chapter 3

about the author

It's a dream of many an aspiring author: publish your debut novel, claim a spot on The New York Times bestseller list, and rack up an astonishing array of awards, including a Newbery Honor. For Kate DiCamillo it was a dream come true.
Author Kate DiCamillo visits Borders Live at 01
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Cast: Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Frances Conroy, Tony Hale, Ciaran Hinds, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, Christopher Lloyd, William H. Macy, Charles Shaughnessy, Stanley Tucci, Tracey Ullman, Emma Watson and Sigourney Weaver
Directors: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen
Screenplay: Gary Ross
Screen Story: Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Producers: Gary Ross, Allison Thomas
Executive Producer: William Sargent, Ryan Kavanaugh, David Lipman, Robin Bissell