The Tale of Despereaux - Literature Kit Gr. 3-4

By Marie-Helen Goyetche

Learn the value of courage and fortitude with this twist on the classic fairy tale. Our comprehensive resource has response questions and activities that are great for guided reading and independent work. Use clues to match vocabulary words from the novel to a crossword puzzle. Show understanding of details from the book by answering short questions. Imagine the inner qualities Roscuro has by describing why he decides never to torture another prisoner again. Compare the expression, "not the sharpest knife in the drawer," with the character Mig. Organize a character's actions and thoughts as they happened in the story on a graphic organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included.

About the Novel:
A story of a special mouse who is on a dangerous quest to rescue the princess. Despereaux falls in love with a princess, even though mice and humans are not supposed to! Caught, Despereaux is sentenced to the dungeon; however, he escapes and goes looking for his beloved princess. Unfortunately, the Princess has already been tricked and has been taken to the dungeon. Despereaux must save his love, and together with the help of his friends, eventually rescues her. As his quest comes to a close, Despereaux realizes that he still cannot marry the Princess, but they become friends. The story ends with the King, the Princess and Despereaux eating a feast and living happily together forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CCP Interactive
• Release date: Jan 12, 2006
• ISBN: 9781553198567

Book preview

A Literature Kit™ FOR

The Tale of Despereaux

By Kate DiCamillo

Written by Marie-Helen Goyetche

GRADES 3 – 4

Classroom Complete Press

P.O. Box 19729

San Diego, CA 92159

Tel: [phone] / Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

www.classroomcompletepress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-55319-326-5

ISBN-10: 1-55319-326-1

eISBN: 978-1-55319-856-7

© 2007

Permission to Reproduce

Permission is granted to the individual teacher who purchases one copy of this book to reproduce the student activity material for use in his or her classroom only. Reproduction of these materials for colleagues, an entire school or school system, or for commercial sale is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved.

Critical Thinking Skills

The Tale of Despereaux

Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy

Contents

Assessment Rubric

The Tale of Despereaux

Teacher Guide

Our resource has been created for ease of use by both TEACHERS and STUDENTS alike.

Introduction

Kate DiCamillo’s novel, The Tale of Despereaux, is a wonderful fairy tale about a mouse named Despereaux, a wicked rat, Roscuro, and the eternal struggle between good and evil, darkness against light, all with a happily ever after ending. A Newbery Medal winner, this is

Reviews for The Tale of Despereaux - Literature Kit Gr. 3-4

[breton07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Tale of Despereaux is one of the finest novels I've ever read. It is a legend about the darkness and the light in human beings. The story of a heroic mouse in search not only of his fate,but of the fate of many others. Although one princess is his inspiration, the hope in Desperaux's own heart leads him to save his enemies, creating friends. Botticelli and Chiarascuro are doomed rats, who, we soon learn, were deprived of the highly symbolic lights of the castle. In this story of humanity at its best and worst, Desperaux and his Princess Pea demonstrate a world of love and kindness.

[aarchamb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this was a cute story about a mouse who is an "unlikely hero". I enjoyed the story although I felt it was slow in parts. Both children and adults will take away their own significant meanings of the "light" and the "dark".

[sylviemlg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

funny and good

[velvetsnape · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really cute!

[ladycato · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

There has been a lot of buzz about this book in recent years, and I know a movie even came out a few years ago. My son checked it out from the school library, so I decided it was time to give it a read.The storyteller voice is excellent. The illustrations are superb. The story irritated the heck out of me. Very little is about Despereaux. It's a love story, in an odd way, with a mouse falling in love with a girl. I was appalled at how the females were handled in the book, both mouse and human. They most all fainted, were punching bags for abusive men, or were so simpering in the way that they were good that it made me want to scream. The ending. Oh, the ending. I read it in disbelief. It's idealistic and the message of it appalled me. (Yes, make a nice meal for the fellow who attempted to murder you, because you're such a nice and empathetic girl.)I like it when lead characters are genuinely good people. But here... it really rubbed me the wrong way. And Miggery Sow's character, what she endured, how the story ended for her, made me genuinely angry.

[resaliens_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

* Creative voice - although, dear reader, it gets a bit tiresome at times. Still, an engaging narrator who sprinkles bits of life wisdom and true observations throughout. Which is how the world works, after all, wouldn't you agree?

* Affirming message - although forgiveness is given a postmodern spin in that we're told by the narrator that its primary purpose is to heal the victim. That's fine but, while important, isn't the primary purpose of forgiveness.

* Great characterization - even though I haven't seen the movie, the book read like a film in my mind. Wonderfully described and visualized, integrating symbols and color symbolism, Dante's journey to the underworld, and the Christian worldview of good versus evil into a well crafted children's story.

* Recommended for late elementary/early middle school - and for the child-like of all ages.

[mlyons1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this little mouse and his big ole ears!

[maej-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a mouse who comes to the open and starts talking to a princess. In the end Despereax saves the princess and they become great friends. I like this book because it has adventure in every corner. I also enjoyed how the princess changed to greedy and selfish to kind and caring. I suggest this book to everyone who likes adventure and fairytale and friendship even if it isn't between a human and human.

[melissapatek · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Tale of Despereaux is the story of a mouse who is very different from all other mice. He has small ears, was born with his eyes open, and falls in love with a human. Despereaux gets sentenced to death in the dungeon but escapes to save the Princess, who he loves, from the plot of an evil rat. The main message of this story is of hope. The purpose is to show that it is ok to be unique. I really liked this story. One thing I really liked about this book was how the author talked directly to the reader. I thought that this gave the impression that the author was actually telling the reader the story, rather than the reader just reading about the story on his own. It made the story seem more like a fairytale, which fit in with how import the fairytale in the story was to Despereaux. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that it was split into sections. I really liked that each book pertained to a different character rather than just having the chapters jump back and forth because it was a lot easier to keep all of the stories straight that way.

[abrial2433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being different is hard, especially when you are a mouse with big ears and a big heart for adventure. Despereaux Tilling longs to be a knight and save a fair princess, but when fate and terrible circumstance give him the chance to do just that he must prove that he is up to the challenge.This is a wonderful story and the book possesses elements which are a bit darker than the movie adaptation. Still, the kingdom of Dor is a wonderful place for young readers to explore and I found the story of courage just the kind of thing that children sometimes need to hear. Despereaux may have big dreams but he is still a little mouse. However, he doesn't let that get in his way and he does great things with his tiny hopes and dreams.

[honanb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tiny mouse loses his tail, saves a princess, and eats soup. Despereaux is a sneezy, dreamy mouse prone to fainting, who does daring acts of chivalry and helps mend the broken hearts of those around him. The story is probably too dark for the younger range of the age group because there is child abuse, cruelty, and a terrifying dungeon oddly placed beneath a beautiful castle, and most of the adult behavior is incomprehensible to young children, but older children might appreciate a less sentimental fairytale. Not everyone gets a happy ending but they do get forgiveness, and the story has a sympathy and understanding of the wickedness in people that most children's stories brush over or deny. The text is long but not too hard for the age range, and the more difficult words are used in context. The pencil drawings perfectly capture the different personalities of the characters and the mood of the story, and keep the theme from becoming too dark.

[nicolec78 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Tale of Despereaux is an adventure following a big eared mouse with a big heart full of love for a princess. No matter what people say or think, nothing is going to crush the little mouses hopes or dreams. Despereaux hears of a kidnapping of the princess and is off to save the day and the princess of course. The little mouse travels through adventure as the pages unfold. It is an exciting and adventurous book, great to use in a classroom read along.Classroom Extension: Have children read the book and then watch the movie and compare and contrast the two. It can also be used in a creative writing exercise in which child write their own life saving adventure.

[sabrinacate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cute Story about a little mouse with big ears. It is also a book about forgiveness, love, and beauty of the soul. I would recommend reading it if you haven't, as I consider it a classic. It's very entertaining and genius book, go on, what are you waiting for? Read it!

[mopbroek07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stars: CharacterizationAge: IntermediateThis book is a good example of modern fantasy, because talking rats and mice do not exist in the real world. However, the author still manages to create a real space for the story by using human emotions and situations, such as Desperaux's love and bravery; the pain of the king, Princess Pea, and Miggery Sow; and Chiaroscuro' bitterness.

[mmuncy_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despereaux is a mouse who is different from all of the others; he is much smaller, has much bigger ears, and loves music. One day he follows the beautiful sound of music into the Princess Pea's room. Her father, the king, runs Despereaux out but not before Despereaux has told the Princess his name. When the other mice hear of this, they sentence him to be thrown in the dungeon and eaten by the rats. Chiaroscuro is a rat who lives in the darkness of the dungeon. After an accidental encounter with the light he becomes enamored and wants more light. He goes upstairs and accidentally lands in the queen's soup; she immediately dies of shock. As he leaves, he looks back and the Princess Pea is looking at him with Hatred. He vows to get revenge for that look. Miggery Sow is a girl Princess Pea's age. When she was younger, her mother died and her father sold her to a man as a slave. The man hit her in the ears until her ears became cauliflowred and she became nearly deaf. When soldiers come to take away everyone's soup bowls and spoons they realize she is a slave and take her to the castle to be a paid servant. While taking the jailer's lunch to him in the dungeon, she meets Chiaroscuro and becomes an instrument in his plan. Chiaroscuro and Mig kidnap the princess and take her to the dungeon. Despereaux heard of the plan as he was escaping from the dungeon and he goes back to save Princess Pea.This was a great book. I really didn't expect to like it that well, but the three stories coming together made it interesting to read and kept me entertained.Forgiveness is a major theme in the book, so I would have students write about a time when they had to forgive someone or ask for forgiveness.

[brainannex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not at all what I expected- but in the best way possible. I thought it would be a cutesy anthropomorphic tale of a plucky mouse but it was that and so much more. A fairy tale in the best definition thereof. I can see why it won the Newbery- a flexible fourth wall; a classic form with a wink to prior literature; a narrator that is sympathetic but *mostly* reliable. Very good.

[brcslibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is such a sweet and cleverly written book with unlikely heroes and diabolical evil-doers. We recently went to see the movie, which was nowhere near as wonderful as the book. The literary tale of Despereaux is destined to be a classic and rightfully so.

[sweetbeebecky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although this story is written as a letter to the reader, it can still be called a classic, modern fairy tale. The little mouse who is born with big ears and a love for reading and music is banished to the dungeon of the castle by his disappointed father, but never gives up hope that one day he will rescue his princess and live happily ever after, in spite of being rejected as a young mouse. He becomes friends with a human, and when she gets kidnapped, he must become brave enough to rescue her, especially when he realizes that he is the only one who can perform the task. Along the way, there are the typical brawls, adventures, and the overcoming of evil that is characteristic of a classic fairy tale, which my daughters loved, and so did I. This would be a great addition to a classroom library or when used as a read aloud, or to contribute to or springboard a discussion involving forgiveness, hope, confidence in oneself, and bravery.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read on December 28, 2013After reading Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures and finding it good-not-great, I thought I would check out Despereaux -- it's the one everyone talks about, right?This is very cute and very sweet, but I had the same problem with it as I did with Flora & Ulysses -- I just don't get the hype.Of course, I'm not the correct age group to "Get It" either. Children LOVE these books and that's what matters. So I like them, they're cute books. (Though I was surprised by how similar the two books are.)

[mysteriesrme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Desperaux, a smaller than normal mouse, with enormous ears, and a big heart, will inspire you. Line like, "Reader, do you think that it is a terrible thing to hope when there is really no reason to hope at all? Or is it (as the soldier said about happiness) something that you might just as well do, since, in the end, it really makes no difference to anyone but you?" This book is great tale for all ages.

[beingruth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I actually read this story in the French translation and it was still amazing.

[katfusion_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story was so cute! Imagine a tiny mouse, taking on a giant quest to save the human he loves. It's certainly one of the best interpretations of David vs. Goliath that I've ever seen.

[glade1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a beautiful story! I read it aloud to my son and thoroughly enjoyed the author's use of language, introduction of new vocabulary, and touching discussion of love, forgiveness, and hope. Even though it is a children's story, I recommend it for everyone!

[lovejoy_rat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story... the author did a great job of explaining very adult emotions and abstract ideas in a way that kids would easily understand. Wonderful!

[pccsakura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A simple story, but very deep. Love the transitions between stories of characters, and how no character is left behind, with their own story and how they fit into this beautiful world all explained. Love how the author talks about the light and darkness and what makes us human ( And how these animal characters ARE like humans themselves ) through each sentence.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kate DiCamillo hasn't written a bad book yet! I loved this one the best!It is a tale of a teeny, tiny mouse with a scrawny body and huge ears who falls in love with the princess of the castle.There are incredible images of dark and then redeeming light and of failure and then hope.Some of the phrases were so beautifully crafted that I returned time and time again simply to re-read them."Hope is like love -- it is a ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing.""Forgiveness is very much like hope and love -- a powerful and wonderful thing."There is an incredible analogy of a mouse who persecutes Desperaux. Because the nasty mouse had a broken heart that was harmed, then healed, the wicked mouse was left with a heart that "grew back crookedly."This will be one of my top ten books of 2010. Highly recommended.

[caltstatt_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had never read this book and found it to be an adorable story. It's definitely one I will read to my little boy one day. Despereaux is a very small mouse who is unlike all the other mice in the castle they live in with the king and his family. This causes Despereaux to be thrown to the dungeon. He is not sad that he is misunderstood. He enjoys reading and talking to humans, especially the princess. The dungeon is not a good place for a mouse because there are rats. Despereaux is able to deliver himself from the rats and the dungeon with the help of a friend. He discovers the princess is about to be the victim of an evil rat and a slow-witted girl servant. It's up to Despereaux to save the princess and he musters all his courage to do so. He finally gets his happily ever after ending when he saves the princess and everyone gets soup, which had been banished because of the queen's death.There are several learning points that could be used in the classroom. This is a good literature book and many of the objectives are covered in this book.

[makalinao17740 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was pretty good. The plot was cute and innocent, like the ferry tales that our parents read to us when we were young. This book is good to read if you're going through hard times or you just want to get away from the hardships of the world. It's a very light read though.

[samcat1997-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really good book! I think everyone would like to read it.

[tdfangirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sweet story about a mouse who falls in love with a princess... a human princess, unfortunately. [author:Kate DiCamillo] expertly weaves the tale of Despereaux, a very different little mouse who falls in love at first sight with the princess of his castle home. Despereaux must prove his bravery to save the princess from peril. Summarizing it like this makes it sound trite, and this story is anything but. It deals with being different from your peers and family, fear, bravery, and acceptance. It's a wonderful story.