Desser the Best Ever Cat

by Maggie Smith

Book Overview

A heartwarming and cathartic book for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a cat. This is the story of a cat, told by the little girl who loved him best. From his first plaintive mew to his last... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375810560
• ISBN13: 9780375810565
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 8 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Helped us with the loss of Luna

Our 14-year-old kitty died recently and for my two children, ages 4 and 7, the loss was devastating. I checked this out from the library (along with Cat Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant, another fantastic book) and I cannot believe how much this book helped soothe the pain of her loss. My four year old asked to read it several times a day, and we got to the point where we laughed more as we read it than cried. It's a touching, sweet story, worth every penny.

Desser the Best Ever Cat

A perfect book for cat lovers and children, especially those dealing with the loss of the beloved family cat. The illustrations and text bring to life the cat personality and the interactions between young children and cats. I am ordering one for me and one for each of my siblings because it so reminds me of our childhood cat King Topence, who was almost human by the time he died at 18 years old.

A sweet story

This is SUCH a sad book!!! I read it yesterday, and I actually cried. The sweetness and love of the little girl to her cat really touched my heart. The pictures are also very nice. I would reccomend this book to children who have lost a pet that they dearly loved, like the girl in this story. Desser, the cat, has been with the little girls father since Desser was a kitten, since before her dad met her mom and they got married and had her. In the beginning, it is very sweet and touching when it shows the memories of Desser, playing and sleeping with the girl (who narrates the story), sometimes even doing bad things, but, as she puts it, "I could never be mad at him for long." And then it has the memories of as Desser gets older, blind in one eye, sick, and how the girl feels when she thinks Desser is going to die. It's so sweet how much this girl loves her cat, it still makes me cry thinking about it! The line that touched me the most was when Desser was a very old, sick cat, and she whispers to him one night, "You are the best cat that ever, ever lived." And although this book has a happy ending, the sadness of some parts may overrule it (at least it did to me). I ABSOLUTELY reccomend this book for ages 6-7+. It is definitly worth the money with the beautiful pictures and memorable lines. I love this book!!!!!

Great book to help children deal with loss of a cat

We originally read this book when my son was 3 1/2 and we lost our 14 year old cat. Our cat was very close to our son, and it was a very tough time for him. We read this book over and over, laughing and crying all along. This book is so genuine that it completely covers life with a cat in a way that will tug at your heart strings, and yet help you understand that you are part of a universal experience when you take a cat into your life. Reading about Desser helped us remember the fun times with our cat, and when we cried together when Desser died, we felt better knowing that our cat, like Desser, was the Best Ever Cat. I highly recommend this book, especially for children who have a pet of any kind. Sharing this book with your child will help you both experience the great joy and satisfaction that comes with having a pet, even though it can be one of the saddest of times when that beloved pet is gone. Beautifully illustrated and delightful text make this a fabulous book to add to your collection, as we have now done.

A must have for your family's collection

Desser, The Best Ever Cat is a fabulous book that should be included in every family's children's book collection. It deals beautifully with the joy of having a pet and also the terrible sadness that comes when the pet passes away. In this story we get to know and love Desser, the best ever cat, follow him through his life, and be there with him when he dies peacefully. The family is very sad, but after time passes they get a new cat. Desser has certainly not been repaced, instead he is remembered and his life celebrated.Maggie Smith's illustrations are, as always, wonderful and colorful and tell the story along with the words. My children, four and six, love this book. This is our book of choice for gift giving this year.