The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo

Summary:
"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul-stirring as it is delicious." — BOOKLIST (starred review)

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

From the master storyteller who brought us BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE comes another classic, a fairy tale full of quirky, unforgettable characters, with twenty-four stunning black-and-white illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering. This paperback edition pays tribute to the book's classic design, featuring a rough front and elegant gold stamping.
Summary taken from Goodreads.com

I honestly had no idea that this book was written by the same author as the  one who wrote the book Because of Winn-Dixie which I loved as a child. I really enjoyed reading this children's book. I thought the illustrations were done beautifully and really went well with the story itself.
I thought Despereaux the little mouse with big ears, born with his eyes open is such a cute little fellow and I really did not like how his family treated him. I really enjoyed his adventure and the author wrote a very likable hero for kids to relate to.
What I didn't like was that the story was so broken up switching from Despereaux, Miggery Sow, and Roscuro and their stories. I felt like it made the story a little disjointed and inhibited the flow of the story and it seemed like the story was rushed in the last half of the book but maybe that is just me.
I do think that this is the perfect gift for kids, it has a cute little mouse for a hero and a nice story.
I can't wait to watch the movie!

★ ★ ★