Celebrate twenty years of Despereaux with two-time Newbery Medalist, Kate DiCamillo! Join Kate DiCamillo as she discusses all things Despereaux and learn about her upcoming book, The Puppets of Spelhorst, out on October 10, 2023!
This splendid anniversary edition of The Tale of Despereaux includes a bonus original short story from Kate DiCamillo and a new piece of art by Timothy Basil Ering.
From master storyteller Kate DiCamillo comes The Puppets of Spelhorst, an original fairy tale—with enchanting illustrations by Julie Morstad—in which five friends confront circumstances beyond their control with patience, cunning, and high spirits.
To attend: A ticket is required to attend this event, which you can register for below. Your ticket can include either a copy of The Tale of Despereaux Deluxe Anniversary Edition or a preorder of The Puppets of Spelhorst. One purchase admits up to four guests. Read the ticket options carefully: each option displays the number of seats included in the purchase. You can register for a ticket through September 30, 12:00pm. Extra copies of The Tale of Despereaux Deluxe Anniversary Edition will be available for purchase during the event in addition to other books by Kate DiCamillo, but pre-orders of other titles are encouraged to guarantee your claim to a copy. You can shop other Kate DiCamillo titles at this link. Check in will begin at 3:00pm, and doors will open at 3:30pm. Your name is all that is required during check in. Seating is open.
Location & Accessibility: This event will be held at the O'Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium (OEC) at the University of St. Thomas. This venue is located on the first floor, and parking is available in the upper levels of the Frey Parking Ramp beside the OEC Auditorium (the main level is reserved for students). This parking ramp is right off of Cleveland and Ashland Avenue. You can view a closeup map of the campus with the Frey ramp here, and see other parking information at this link.
Signing Guidelines: Following the event, Kate DiCamillo will sign copies of her books. Preordered copies of The Puppets of Spelhorst will be signed after the book's publication on October 10. Kate will sign up to 2 books brought from home. Signing line tickets will be distributed during check in based on the order of sign-up on Eventbrite. If you would prefer not to stay for the signing portion, Red Balloon is happy to have your books signed for you and will contact you when they're ready to be picked up.