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Disappearing Desmond

by Anna Alter
40p. 978-0-37586-684-5.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Desmond the cat blends in with his surroundings. In fact, his entire family fades into the background in their portrait. Everything changes when Gloria, a rabbit, arrives at school. Not only does she take every possible chance to get noticed herself, but she also notices Desmond no matter where he hides. To his surprise, he likes interacting with others. He even coaxes someone else from his hiding place to join the playground fun. Young viewers will enjoy spotting Desmond in his ingenious costumes and identifying others trying to stay out of sight in the schoolyard. Alter's animal characters will be familiar to those who know her previous books, including Abigail Spells (Knopf, 2009), featured in a library poster. This low-key story of how friendship can support and encourage others will be a welcome addition for most libraries.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Shy cat Desmond always purposely blends into the background at school. But a new student keeps spotting him ("Hi, Desmond!"), and a friendship blooms alongside his confidence. Like Kevin Henkes, the note-perfect Alter doesn't need to use abstract words like shy and confident to make her point. Readers will delight in watching Desmond try to disappear into the unassuming scenery.
Reviewed by Kathy Piehl , Sep 01, 2010

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