The Tale of Despereaux:
Being a Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Book Discussion/Review

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Leader: LA
(4th Grade)

Genre: Fiction

Who was the narrator? Omniscient marrator

Average Rating [1 (don't suggest) -5 (highly suggest)]: 4.9975

HPs Rating: - 3.5 - For people who like imagination and fantasy.

KA's Rating: - 4.999 - If you like imagination and if you always want to know what's coming up next you'll like this. If you like stories that are awesome, you'll like it.

KLB's Rating: - 5 - It's a great book and I loved it, it's always surprising.

LA's Rating: - 4.9 - If you like something that you can't put down, that you want to read chapters after chapters, you'll like this.

 

 

    Discussion Themes:  
    Discussion Questions:

  1. Describe Desperaux and Roscuro. What is special about their names? What about them is different to other mice or rats, respectively? How is the "normal" mouse or rat supposed to behave?
  2. What happens at the party in the castle and what are the consequences?
  3. What significance does soup have in this book
  4. The characters in the book all have special dreams that get them into trouble. What are their dreams?
  5. Who was your favorite character and why?
  6. Is there a central thread in the story? Did you like how the four story lines are weaved together?
  7. Is this story a fairy tale? Is there a "Happily ever after" at the end? If so, how does it look like for the different characters?
  8. Miggery Sow and the princess have entirely different lives. How do they differ? What connects them nevertheless?
  9. "Love is powerful, wonderful and ridiculous." Do you agree? How does it effect Despereaux's life?
  10. Discuss the behavior of Desperaux's family throughout the book
  11. Desperaux decides to go back into the dungeon he had just escaped. Why? What gives him the strength to do so? What helps him find his way?
  12. "Stories are light." Gregory the jailer tells Desperaux. What does this mean to you? Did you find some light in this story?
  13. How is Despereaux different from the other mice?
  14. What happens when Despereaux’s sister Merlot tries to teach him to nibble paper? How does this affect the rest of the story?
  15. Why does the King tell the Princess not to speak with Despereaux? When Despereaux leaves the Princess, he says to her, "I honor you." Why?
  16. Why does the Mouse Council call Despereaux before them? What is their decision?
  17. Who is Gregory, and how does he help Despereaux?
  18. Who is Miggery Sow? How does she come to be at the castle?
  19. Who are Boticelli and Roscuro? Why does Botticelli tell Roscuro to take the red cloth from Miggery Sow’s father? What does Roscuro believe the cloth will do?
  20. What does the Queen love more than anything in the world? Why is it banned from the kingdom?
  21. What is Roscuro’s plan for the Princess? What does he think he will gain from this plan?
  22. What do Miggery Sow and the Princess Pea have in common?
  23. Who is the threadmaster, and what is his job? How does he end up helping Despereaux?
  24. When Despereaux comes upon Cook in the kitchen, what is she doing? Why is Cook afraid?
  25. When Despereaux goes down into the dungeon to save the Princess, what four things do the rats smell? Why?
  26. Which two characters lose their tails in the story, and how?
  27. Does Despereaux succeed in his quest to save the Princess? What is the outcome of his quest?
  28. What does the author hope the reader will find in the story?

    Suggested Activities and Food :

  1. Of course, soup! (i.e. soup with chicken, watercress and garlic). Or try celery (with dips), the threadmasters favorite food
  2. Mazes, puzzles using vocabulary words from some of the sites below
  3. Timeline of lives of characters seeing when they intercept and contemplating what might have happened to them if they hadn't met.

 

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