book to movie 3 of 3, The Tale of Despereaux, #518

"The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo was the recipient of the Newbery Medal. DiCamillo has a talent for creating whimsical characters. There is Despereaux Tilling, a mouse with giant ears who is a misfit among the other mice. There is a rat called Roscuro, who is a kind of a pirate-rat; he ends up in a dungeon, where he doesn't fit in with the other rats. In the dungeon, he craves light. There is the radiant Princess Pea, who is full of "longing"--according to Despereaux. And there is a homely servant girl named Miggery Sow who dreams of "living in the castle and being a princess." DiCamillo takes this disparate bunch and throws them together such that their lives intersect in a meaningful way.

Both the book and the movie have the essential ingredients of a classic fairy tale, but with a twist. It is a mouse--not a prince--who falls for the princess and vows to "honor her" and ultimately rescues her. There is a rat that is not a bad rat, though he does a very bad thing and then makes amends for it. This story takes the basic fairy tale premise and adds some variation on the classic genre.

Both the book and the movie have subtle meanings and messages for children. One theme is forgiveness. Another involves the idea of marching to the beat of one's own drum. Both the rat and the mouse are misfits, and the two humans--Princess Pea and the servant Miggery--are sad. DiCamillo offers a hopeful message to kids who feel out of place, who harbor secret dreams.

I like DiCamillo's writing style in that she addresses the reader. She starts one chapter with, "Reader, you did not forget about our small mouse, did you?" The movie tries to incorporate this narrative effect as well. Also, the author divides the book into four sections: the first tells about the mouse, the second tells about the rat, the third tells of the servant girl and the last melds all the characters together and tells how their lives intertwine.

I liked the book better than the movie but the movie did a decent job in telling the story. Overall, it is an enchanting story. There is just the right mix of entertainment value--for the kids--and substance--for the adults.