The Tale of Despereaux Audiobook By Kate DiCamillo cover art

The Tale of Despereaux

Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Tale of Despereaux

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

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.50

Buy for $13.50

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
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.

Click here to see a full list of Newbery Medal Winners and Newbery Honor Books.©2003 Kate DiCamillo (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group Action & Adventure Animal Fiction Animals Animals & Nature Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths Fantasy & Magic Fiction Literature & Fiction Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels Primary Education Science Fiction & Fantasy Fantasy Feel-Good Heartfelt Funny

Editorial 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

  • Newbery Medal Winner, 2004, Most Distinguished American Children's Book

"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)

Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks for Kids


Whether you’re getting ready to embark on a cross-country road trip with the whole family or just want a new chapter book to enjoy at bedtime, each superb story on this list is a great place to start. Each a tale of whimsy and adventure brought to life with the help of talented voice actors like Jim Dale, Kate Winslet, Neil Patrick Harris, and more, these imaginative listens—fan favorites, classics, and newcomers alike—are sure to be loved by young listeners. Inspire them to stand up for themselves, speak their minds, and embrace their uniqueness.

Featured Article The Best Audiobooks for Kids
Captivating Storytelling • Meaningful Life Lessons • Engaging Characters • Beautiful Writing • Soothing Voice
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
This story is so wonderful and so wonderfully well written. I love how the author makes the reader, or in this case listener part of the story. The narrator is fantastic. He reads clearly and dramatizes the voices so well. Both my 4 and 7 year olds love it.

Great story, well narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
No one else could do a better job than this in narrating. Great story with such amazing narration. 10 thumbs up!

the BEST NARRATOR!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Graeme Malcolm is a mesmerizing storyteller. Hearing him read the story just brought it to life in a much more enchanting way then just reading the book could have done.

Amazing

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

Would you consider the audio edition of The Tale of Despereaux to be better than the print version?

The narrator's voice makes this book a pleasure to listen to.

Have you listened to any of Graeme Malcolm???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

His voice is like silk! He differentiates each character expertly. I think this narrator is the best I've ever heard. I would listen to him read the phone book.

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

I loved when someone finally asked Miggery Sow what she wanted.

Love this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it! Takes you back to the old story book days...50 years ago, maybe 60!

What a fun story!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
the right amount of emotion. kids and adults enjoyed. would look for voiceover again .

excellent story. the voices were distinct . just

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The first time I read this book, I was 11 and it captivated me. I finished it in one sitting and re-read it time and again, and it felt comforting and familiar. It is in the highest of compliments that I say Graeme Malcom has made an old love feel brand new, with one of the best audio recordings I’ve yet heard.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a very good book. I have read it 15 times exactly. I would read it every day all the time.

love

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was about 10 years old when I last read this book, and the story is just as good reading it 10 years later. I always thought that the way the story progresses and was narrated stood out from other children's books at the time. I'm glad I got to read it again.

just as good as I remember

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Told in a unique and straight-forward tone, this book is oh so literary and conveys deep and beautiful values through this unusual fairy tale.

Amazing, literary, beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews