What a great book! No wonder why it won the Newbery!
I absolutely fell in love with the language of this book. It just captivated me and wouldn't let me go! I was especially intrigued by Roscuro's dialog with the other characters. Who thought a rat could be so intelligent and use such sophisticated words? As many other readers, I thought it was clever of DiCamillo to actually speak to the reader in order to draw you further into the story. When an author actually acknowledges you, you feel a sense of importance and might actually picture yourself in the events of the book, as an observer, instead of an outsider.
The character of Despereaux was completely lovable. You couldn't help but cheer for his accomplishments and cry for his disappointments. Doesn't everyone love to support an underdog? (I'm going through that right now by cheering for the W&M men's basketball team in the CAA tournament this weekend. :) ) Despereaux had such courage and he was just a little mouse. He was different in every way.
My favorite line of the story came at the end. "Even in a world as strange as this one, a mouse and a princess cannot marry. But, reader, they can be friends." It gave me a sense of hope. I knew that Despereaux could not marry the princess, but at least they could still spend time together and go on many adventures. This was just one of the many wonderful morals I took away from this story. It is one I can put on my list to read to my kids when I have them.
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5 comments:
Tricia,
Thank you for your kind comments. I always feel as if I am fumbling around trying to figure out what to say. I think you described the story well, and I liked the comments at the end especially ( Despereaux and the Princess going on adventures...). Sounds like a sequel to me!
Ha, I can't believe you're comparing Despereaux to the men's basketball team. But, as you said, there is hope, and we can't lose that.
I also enjoyed the ending quote. There was much hope in it. Hope that a child can apply to many different situations.
I loved the book as well. The convention of addressin the reader really drew me in as well. The other remarkable thing about the story is how well developed each of the characters is. You almost forget they are mice and rats and start thinking of them as real people.
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