The trouble all starts with a rat – a curious but clumsy rat – whose pirate ship lands in the faraway kingdom of Dor on Royal
Soup Day. As the Queen takes a sip of her vegetable soup, Roscurro the rat leans over to smell the delicious aroma and accidentally plops into her bowl! The Queen screams (wouldn’t you?) and falls head first into her broth. Dead. The King is so grief-stricken that he outlaws all soups and all rats from the kingdom. Roscurro is banished to the gloomy Rat Underworld.
The Tale of Despereaux is the adventure of a brave little mouse with enormous ears. This tiny, unlikely hero laughs at danger, never cowers from cats, and loves to read fairy tales about brave knights, fire breathing dragons and fair maidens in distress. The lives of Roscurro, Despereaux, and Princess Pea (daughter of the unfortunate Queen) become mysteriously intertwined. This
graphic novel, featuring artwork from the popular animated film from Universal Pictures, offers plenty of adventure and intrigue. What is Botticelli, the evil ruler of the Rat Underworld, planning to do next? What is the secret identity of the castle chambermaid Miggery Sow? Will Despereaux make it in time to save Princess Pea from being ravished by hungry rats in the depths of the castle dungeon? The graphic novel format is designed to reach a wider audience, especially reluctant readers who would rather not read an entire chapter book. But for those who prefer more story details, try the original literary classic written by Kate DiCamillo, which has been published in 23 languages, is a New York Times #1 bestseller and a winner of the Newbery Medal.