Plot summary

After the queen of Dor dies when a rat falls in her soup, the king banishes all rats and soup from the kingdom. Roscuro, an unusually kind and dreaming rat, must retreat to a hideous colony of the rats of Dor, where the rats' ruler is determined to turn Roscuro into a cruel rodent. Despereaux is a courageous mouse, much to the dismay of his peers and family. When Despereaux is banished after interacting with Princess Pea of Dor and reading a book instead of eating it, he must leave to live in the rat colony. Roscuro saves Despereaux from a forced battle and befriends him. The new and unlikely pair sets out on adventures to bring happiness back to Dor in this tale of courage, fate, and kindness.