My husband and I enjoyed Kate DiCamillo’s Edward Tulane so much, we bought her previous book, Newbery Medalist The Tale of Despereaux: Being The Story of A Mouse, A Princess, Some Soup, and A Spool of Thread. Kate has such a way with words! (Honestly, is this woman capable of writing a NON-Newbery-winning book?)
I can’t add a quote right now because the book is in the truck, waiting for tomorrow’s story hours during our morning and evening commutes. I truly believe that Kate’s books are best read aloud. In a serious moment, we have to stop and laugh at the charming picture being painted. Such as when the rat fell in the queen’s soup and surfaced with little pieces of watercress on his whiskers.
So far, the thing I like best about this book is the way it draws the reader in. Literally. Kate addresses the reader directly, telling us to stop and think about what a situation would feel like if it were happening to us. She is, in essence, teaching the reader HOW to fully enjoy a book. Brilliant!
We both think Edward Tulane is a better book than Despereaux, but then we read it first. And, as all writers do, Kate continues to improve her writing skills. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Despereaux was a good book and I enjoyed having Cheryl read it to me during our long commutes. The characters are rich and the story draws you in. The chapters are short which I think is beneficial for young readers.
The ending could be better. We are given the good happy ending, but it happens too quick and given the situation in the dungeon, it happens a little too easy.
Despereaux is really good, but I would have to say Edward Tulane is nearly perfect!