Age 7-9

Despereaux is a non-conformist mouse, born smaller and more human (because he cares about music and reading and not just food) than most mice. Chiaroscuro is a rat whose nature is also diluted: he is attracted by light although his kind are only meant to enjoy darkness and the sorrows of others. Both creatures suffer, but while Despereaux is ennobled by this, Chiaroscuro is damaged. In this fable peopled with a fantastical cast of royalty, servants and talking rodents, Despereaux falls in love with a human princess and sets out to save her from danger. This is a fairy-tale partly about the hurt we can do each other, but also about how we can be redeemed by the virtues of forgiveness, courage, kindness and love. Although the book often addresses the reader directly, it is written conspiratorially, as if a storyteller were recounting the tale, so it suits reading aloud. Its short sentences and paragraphs, and pacey action, also motivate children to read for themselves. It is complemented by skilled, shadowy illustrations that are a tad scary for sensitive seven-year-olds.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

(Walker £6.99)

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