KATE DICAMILLO:
Yes, a pivotal moment in the book. I'm going to read it to you, Jeffrey. Listen up, okay?
"The Princess Pea looked down at Despereaux. She smiled at him. And while her father played another song, a song about the deep purple falling over sleepy garden walls, the princess reached out and touched the top of the mouse's head.
"Despereaux stared up at her in wonder. The Pea, he decided, looked just like the picture of the fair maiden in the book in the library. The princess smiled at Despereaux again, and this time, Despereaux smiled back. And then, something incredible happened. The mouse fell in love.
"Reader, you may ask this question. In fact, you must ask this question. Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, big-eared mouse to fall in love with a beautiful human princess named Pea? The answer is, yes, of course it's ridiculous. Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful and powerful. And Despereaux's love for the Princess Pea would prove in time to be all of these things: Powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous."
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