The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DeCamillo, is… it’s just beautiful. My daughter brought it to me one night and said she thought I’d like it. I’ve liked her recommendations before–she has great taste for a seven-year-old—but I was in the middle of a Steinbeck book, so I set it aside. The next night, she asked again. The next night, she was visibly disappointed that I hadn’t begun. So I set aside, The Winter of our Discontent, and found out that, in this case, she was right.
For elegant prose that brings unusual and desperate characters to life, draws you into their struggles, and leaves you marveling in the beauty of perseverance, I’d recommend DeCamillo’s tale of a mouse who falls in love with a princess over Steinbeck’s take on middle-class angst.
Despereaux reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events in the way it treats young readers with respect, recognizing that they are aware of problems and capable of courage. Both series bring out strength in children, but Despereaux probably brings out more grace.
