Desmond the cat is an expert at hiding. He hides in class, at the playground, on field trips, and even at home. Then one day an outgoing new student named Gloria comes to his class, and for the first time Desmond gets noticed. Gloria teaches Desmond that is alright to be noticed, and Desmond begins to show his unique personality to his peers. At the end of the story, Desmond helps another student come out of hiding. Alter’s illustrations feature a mix of insets and full-page spreads in vibrant pastel colors, with plenty of backdrops for Desmond to hide in. Children will have fun spotting Desmond and the many other animals hiding on the final pages of the story. This book will be especially relevant for shy or timid children who will relate to Desmond’s struggle to step outside of his comfort zone and make friends. Other children may relate to Gloria’s more flamboyant personality. A broader application of the book would be to teach children the value of being understanding and accepting of diverse personalities and seeking to include their peers who may seem a little different. Recommended. Ages 3-6. ( )

Desmond likes blending in and not being noticed until Gloria notices. An endearing, entertaining story about being a wallflower and overcoming shyness. A great read alound choice. ( )

Desmond if the ultimate camouflage expert. He disappears everywhere, outside and inside. It's a family trait - both his parents and his baby sibling are skilled at vanishing also. Desmond is especially good at hiding during school. Until a new student arrives one day. She's the complete opposite of Desmond and she loves to be noticed. Not only does she like to be in the spotlight, she sees Desmond - everywhere! He's met the first person he can't hide from. Gradually they become friends and then Desmond arrives at school feeling very different; "He couldn't remember why he ever wanted to disappear in the first place." His family also comes out of hiding and Desmond passes on the gift of his new friend by finding another student hiding and inviting him to join their game.
The art in this story is beautiful. If you want a detailed look, check out the author's blog posts on her artistic process.

I'm sort of torn on this story. On the one hand, the art is beautiful and it's a lovely story of friendship and kindness. On the other hand...personally, I get really angry at the consistent message in children's books that there's something wrong with being shy, quiet, and/or introverted. Desmond's skill at disappearing is applauded, but ultimately he becomes much happier when he conforms to the behavior of the children around him, especially extrovert Gloria, and becomes just like everyone else. Obviously, if you don't like to "join in" there is something wrong with you and you need to change. Being a loner and an observer is a negative trait. Being part of the group and a leader is a positive, as we see when Desmond not only changes, but starts pulling other children in. Ok, ok, maybe I'm taking this all too seriously/personally and I'm sure the author had no idea anybody was going to find this in her book! But to me that's a painful message to give any shy child - that there's something wrong with you (and in Desmond's case with his whole family) and you need a social extrovert to save you from your lonely and unhappy existence.

Verdict: The art is beautiful and most people are going to love this story. I was really unhappy with it for the reasons stated above, but frankly I'm really weird and most parents and children will love this story. And it is a nice friendship tale.