Review Detail

A STORY FOR DESMOND is a bedtime story in graphic novel form. Desmond is fussing and his father begins to tell him a story of his grandmother and the things she left behind for Desmond to find as he grows older. The story takes Desmond to new lands and fun adventures as his father tells him about the kindness, courage, and family that Desmond’s grandmother leaves behind as a legacy for her grandson.

What worked in this story was the medium of a graphic novel and the accompanying illustrations. The art was a clear avenue for the story and accessible for younger children as well as older children who might be reading on their own, but not quite to chapter books.

The idea of a grandmother leaving a legacy of good qualities for her grandson was also a nice concept. Putting those qualities in a fantastical setting felt like a good way for young children to explore more abstract qualities such as courage, fear, and kindness.

I found this story difficult to place in the genre of children’s literature, however. My reasons being that having the father narrate this story to baby Desmond made it feel a little too old for a read-aloud, but too young to hold the interest of older children. The narration was very telling, but the illustrations made up for lack of Desmond's voice as the pictures stood in for his perspective.

This book is an interesting look at emerging genres and I’m excited to see different mediums explored by new authors. A STORY FOR DESMOND would be a great addition to parents looking to expand their bedtime story repertoire.