Our Favorite Dubious Disguises in Picture Books

Miss Nelson Is Missing!, by Harry G. Allard Jr. and James Marshall
The kids in room 207 are really acting up, and their sweet, blond-haired, rosy-cheeked teacher Miss Nelson can’t get them to cool it. But one day Miss Nelson doesn’t show up for school, and in her place is black-haired (though still rosy-cheeked) Miss Viola Swamp—and, according to the kids, she’s a real witch, and the students are finally scared straight. Yep, a black wig, an ugly black dress, and a little goth makeup are all Miss Nelson needs to show the kids that they truly didn’t know what they had ’til it was gone. Of course, these kiddos may not be the brightest bulbs in the box, as they thought it was much more plausible that Miss Nelson was eaten by sharks than that the lady with black hair and a black dress at Miss Nelson’s house was actually Miss Nelson in disguise.

Harry the Dirty Dog, by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham
Want to scare your kids into thinking you may not recognize them if they don’t take a bath? Meet Harry, a white dog with black spots who hates taking a bath and loves to get dirty. One day, he hides his scrub brush and runs off for a day of fantastically filthy adventures that transform him into a black dog with white spots. His somewhat obtuse family doesn’t recognize this strange dog in the backyard that knows all of Harry’s tricks and is the exact size and shape of Harry—and yet they don’t know where their own dog Harry is. No matter! Let’s give this strange dog a bath, and see what happens! Of course, in the tub, they soon recognize their little white dog with black spots, and all is right with the world.

Ginger and Petunia, by Patricia Polacco
Ginger Folsum is quite a lady—she has a passion for beautiful clothes, she drives a little red sports car, she’s an in-demand pianist, and she has a sizable pet pig named Petunia, with whom she listens to opera every evening. So when Ginger is called away to London to perform and her housesitter doesn’t show up, Petunia steps up to take care of all of Ginger’s responsibilities while her owner is away. Donning one of Ginger’s beautiful outfits, a stunning scarf, and perfectly applied makeup, Petunia listens to all of Ginger’s piano students without a single one noticing her snout and hooves. Petunia even attends an event at the museum and a dinner with the mayor in her Ginger get-up. Thankfully, she’s later rewarded with a nice soak in her mud.

Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise, by Sean Taylor and Jean Jullien
“Everyone knows owls are wise, but as well as being wise,” the owl in this funny picture book tells us, “he’s also a master of disguise.” The hoot owl is really hungry, and he’s determined to use his master ability to disguise himself to nab a tasty dinner. He organizes costume after costume that he’s sure will do the trick—a giant carrot to catch a rabbit, a mama sheep to catch a lamb, and even a bird bath to catch a pigeon. But, for some reason, none of his masterful disguises work! Ah, that is, until he finds the perfect prey—a pizza! And it’s then that he finds his perfect disguise: a waiter in a pizza restaurant. Thankfully, the pizza doesn’t get spooked and stays in one spot for this master of disguise to grab something to eat.

Dinosaurs in Disguise, by Stephen Krensky and Lynn Munsinger
Most people think dinosaurs are long gone, but not the narrator of this picture book. This little boy thinks they just went into hiding and that they’ve been blending in beautifully. They disguised themselves as camels and pyramids in ancient Egypt, horses and mountains in Medieval times, and even a pilgrim coming over on the Mayflower. Nowadays, according to this book, if you look hard enough at the Statue of Liberty or the guy dressed up as Santa at the mall, you’ll see a dinosaur staring back at you, astonished that you’ve seen through such a stellar disguise.

Red Riding Hood, by James Marshall
This list just wouldn’t be complete without the ultimate in bad disguises—the wolf from Red Riding Hood dressing up in Red’s grandma’s pajamas and somehow totally fooling the little girl right up until he tries to eat her. James Marshall’s take on the tale draws from the Brothers Grimm version, which is a little grim (grandma gets eaten and later cut out of the wolf’s belly) but not at all gruesome, with Marshall’s signature artwork adding a touch of humor to the characters. And it’ll be impossible for young readers not to find humor in the wolf parading as grandma in her nightgown and cap with his fur, ears, tail, and teeth all clearly visible.