From the Publisher
WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL!
Kate DiCamillo introduces a hero for all time!
Welcome to 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 harbors a simple, impossible wish.
These three characters are about to 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. And what happens
then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to
find out.
From the master storyteller who brought us BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE
comes another classic, a fairy tale full of quirky, unforgettable
characters, featuring twenty-four stunning black-and-white
illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering, in an elegant design that
pays tribute to the best in classic children's books and bookmaking
traditions.
The beloved author of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE enlightens us with a
tale of adventure, despair, love, and soup.
About the Author
Kate DiCamillo lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the author
of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, a Newbery Honor book, and THE TIGER
RISING, which was a National Book Award Finalist. Kate DiCamillo
says, "A few years ago, my best friend's son asked me if I would
write a story for him. 'Well,' I said, 'I don't normally write
stories on command.' 'But this is a story that I know you would
want to tell,' he said. 'It's about an unlikely hero. He has
exceptionally large ears.' 'What happens to this hero?' I asked. 'I
don't know,' he said. 'That's why I want you to write it down, so
we can find out.' Well, Luke Bailey, three years later, here is the
story of what happened to your exceptionally large-eared, unlikely
hero."
Timothy Basil Ering is the author and illustrator of THE STORY OF
FROG BELLY RAT BONE, and he also created the cover image and
interior black-and-white drawings for 33 SNOWFISH by Adam Rapp. Of
his inspiration for the illustrations in The TALE OF DESPEREAUX, he
says, "My mother may have been a mouse in her past life, as I
watched her save and help so many mice in our house while I was
growing up. The illustrations I've done of Despereaux Tilling are,
in a way, my tribute to her." Timothy Basil Ering's artwork has
appeared in books, magazines, theater sets, private murals, and
fine art galleries.
About the Book
- Multi-city tour- National publicity- Discussion guide- Online teaser excerpt- National advertising- Bound galley give-away programs- Full-color poster available
