Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
What a cute little book! I was always interested in this book, as it had such huge praise and won awards, so when Amazon Kindle had it as their daily deal for $0.99 I jumped on it. And I am so pleased that I did. The tale of Desperaux was written so smoothly and perfectly for kids, as the narrator acknowledges the reader throughout the whole novel. What was so nice too is that it teaches kids that although you may be an outcast don't ever give up on your hopes and dreams. It also teaches about forgiveness in such a sweet way. The characters were adorable and I just wanted to scoop Despereaux up in my hand. Definitely a must read!
A delightful little fairy tale about love and courage, forgiveness and empathy, darkness and light. I thought it was kind of weird at first but then it morphed into something absolutely beautiful. Though the story is short and simple, every character is flawed and multidimensional, representing both darkness and light in varying degrees. I'm a strong believer that empathy is the most effective way to resolve conflict, and Kate DiCamillo really brings that message home in a way that is easy to understand but doesn't feel preachy or heavy handed. Great book!
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book feels like a classic. It has the style of a book I would have read as a young person, that perhaps my parents would have passed on to me 30 years ago. It was generally fun to read-aloud, and me and my 6 year old enjoyed it, but it was not without faults.
The usual trope of the "bad" being tied to fat and/or stupid that seems consistent in many children's books was present. There was definite ableism, and the repeated and casual child abuse was not my favourite to have to describe or explain. There was some on the go editing while I was reading.
I did really like the way the authour didn't finish the story off with everyone being just good, or just bad, so there was a bit more nuance than a more traditional classic story. I think the general lesson on being forgiving was nice, and there are a bunch of great vocabulary building words.
The usual trope of the "bad" being tied to fat and/or stupid that seems consistent in many children's books was present. There was definite ableism, and the repeated and casual child abuse was not my favourite to have to describe or explain. There was some on the go editing while I was reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Slavery, Death of parent, Abandonment