A mouse named Despereaux was born into a mouse family living in an ancient royal castle. Unlike his relatives, he had a brave, noble heart, and also loved to read and listen to music. One day he saw Princess Pea and fell in love with her. And when the insidious rats lured the princess into a gloomy dungeon by cunning, Despereaux, like a knight in shining armor, saved her from certain death. The mouse Despereaux loved more than anything else in the world listening to music and reading books about knights in shining armor. He would have lived like this, dreaming of saving someone someday, if he had not one day learned that a cunning rat named Roscuro had lured the beautiful Princess Pea into a deep, dark dungeon. This is where the finest hour of the brave and noble Despereaux has come. It’s time for him to accomplish amazing and glorious feats!

Kate DiCamilla began as the author of books from the Star Trek and Star Wars series, but it was children’s fairy tales that brought She has received worldwide recognition and numerous awards, including the All-American Gold Medal, Parents' Choice Award, and the Newbery Medal for her distinguished contributions to children's literature. Russian readers remember DiCamillo for her amazing stories about the cheerful mongrel Vin Dixie and the touching porcelain rabbit Edward.