LadyD Books: Book Giveaway: Disappearing Desmond by Anna Altar

http://annaalter.blogspot.com/

Click on to get to an entry page to enter to win.
The giveaway runs from Nov. 1st through Nov. 15th, when Anna Altar will pick 10 winners to get a free book. The book giveaway is for Us Residents only!

To celebrate the release of her new book, for the first two weeks of November Anna will be running a Disappearing Desmond book giveaway! Ten winners will get their very own copy sent to their doorstep.

All you have to do is find Desmond as he appears on various children's book blogs around the web.
Winners will be chosen at random on Nov. 15th and notified by email. Enter as many times as you like!

Congratulations Anna. I love the cover and it looks like a very cute book.
Good luck and best wishes to the winners!

-- LadyD

by Anna Alter
Alfred A. Knopf
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-86684-5

Desmond likes to disappear, blend into the background, and hide in the cleverest of places. But when a new student named Gloria arrives at his school, Desmond finds himself noticed for the first time. Can Gloria help Desmond get used to life in the spotlight?

REVIEWS:

"'How Not to Be Seen' is a famous Monty Python sketch, but it also describes the peculiar and poignant talent of shy children like Alter's (What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?) hero Desmond, an anthropomorphized cat. Desmond is so self-erasing that he can easily blend into a classroom poster: "Sometimes, even his teacher could not find him." Then one day, a vivacious and persistent rabbit named Gloria (think young Auntie Mame with long ears) arrives in class and pulls Desmond out of his shell. One good turn leads to another, and soon most of the class wallflowers are blooming--although the final image makes it clear there's still work to be done. Many of Desmond's camouflage efforts show a lot of ingenuity, which could convey to some readers that his inner life in rich enough to compensate for his lack of friends. But Alter's empathy is never in question, and with Gloria's arrival it becomes clear just how much yearning was in Desmond's heart--socially confident readers and shrinking violets alike will be won over."

-Publishers Weekly
"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."

-School Library Journal
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