Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2003 The young mouse Despereaux Tilling simply does not fit in (he can read, and he has an innate appreciation for music), either with his family or his community, and, as the author states, “you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.” When Despereaux makes the unforgivable mistake of speaking to a human, the Princess Pea, he loses both his heart and his place in the mouse community, and the adventure is off. On its way, the novel tells the story not only of Despereaux, the chivalric mouse who risks all for his ladylove, but also Chiaroscuro (a.k.a. Roscuro), the outlawed rat who craves the light, and Miggery Sow, the servant girl who squanders hope on an impossible wish. DiCamillo speaks directly to the reader throughout this deliberately though gently mannered book, and she states the point of her lessons clearly. There’s an intimacy to the authorial tone that makes the artfully crafted prose and precisely contrived exposition accessible as well as gratifying. Ering’s full-page pencil drawings contribute to the romantic feel, the meticulous drafting softened by the dusty, almost pastel-like treatment of dark and light; the physical design of the book hearkens back to leather-bound volumes with gold imprints and other detailing. There is a classic charm to this picaresque tale of an idealistic mouse suffering unrequited love for a princess; that and a pace that lends itself to reading aloud will make this novel a favorite among those ready for some gentle questing. - Copyright 2003 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2003 Gr 3 Up-A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2003 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2003 *Starred Review* Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family’s existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to “honor her.” But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig’s desire to be a princess, a rat’s yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux’s quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo’s deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: “Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart.” And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won’t realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering’s soft pencil illustrations reflect the story’s charm. - Copyright 2003 Booklist.