Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • The Tale of Despereaux

  • Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
  • By: Kate DiCamillo
  • Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
  • Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Tale of Despereaux

By: Kate DiCamillo
Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

This is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in darkness but covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl with a simple, impossible wish. These 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.

And what happens then?

Listener, it is your destiny to find out.

©2003 Kate DiCamillo (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Ickabog cover art
Raymie Nightingale cover art
Because of Winn-Dixie cover art
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane cover art
The Green Ember cover art
The Silmarillion cover art
The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963 cover art
Beach Music cover art
The World’s Worst Monsters cover art
The Bark of the Bog Owl cover art
Secret of the Red Arrow cover art
The Christmas Pig cover art
David Copperfield cover art
Father and I Were Ranchers cover art
Far from Home cover art
Camp Cacophony cover art

Editor reviews

What is it about mice? Ever since Aesop paired a little rodent with a mighty lion, mice have been the stars of literature. Stuart Little, the gallant Reepicheep of the Narnia books, the heroes of Redwall - mice all.

Now comes Despereaux, and he does his fore-mice proud. This is a wistful story that is given a properly dreamlike reading by Graeme Malcolm. You can imagine him sitting by a crackling fire as he tells the tale of a misfit, sensitive mouse who falls in love with a princess and finds his place in the world.

At 3-1/2 hours long, this is the perfect listen for a family trip. It's the kind of story that parents will appreciate for the lessons it imparts - and children will cherish for its memorable adventures of a determined mouse.

Critic reviews

A charming story of unlikely heroes....With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud....This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun." ( School Library Journal)
"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about The Tale of Despereaux

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely

A charming tale with a brilliant narrator. Very much enjoyed this book and it would be very easy to get into again

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Charming and amusing story

If you could sum up The Tale of Despereaux in three words, what would they be?

Charming, touching and amusing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tale of Despereaux?

Despereaux in the dungeons.

What about Graeme Malcolm’s performance did you like?

The accents were fantastic - particularly Despereaux's mother.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both

Any additional comments?

A wonderfully old-fashioned tale of love and the battle between good and evil. My three children aged 11, 9 and 7 loved it along with my husband and I. A cracker!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Buchan School Audiobook Club

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes we would because we enjoyed the characters especially Miggery Sow!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tale of Despereaux?

Our most memorable part was banging of the mouse drum! BOOM, TAT, TAT! BOOM TAT, TAT!

Which scene did you most enjoy?

We loved the part when Despereaux met the Princess Pea.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, we were sad for Miggery Sow and the way she had been treated by her father, the cook and Roscuro.

Any additional comments?

This review was written by Theo, Grenya, Adam and Miss Newson from the Buchan School in the Isle of Man!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful