One of the current favorites with children visiting our libraries for tours and storytimes is Pete the Cat! It is a terrific readlaoud or singaloud for a large group reading. I always think truly wonderful, simplistic picture books are those that stand alone with reading or singing. No additional prop is needed. This is one of those books. Pete the Cat, a navy-blue cat with large yellow eyes comes walking down the street in his new, spiffy, white tennis shoes, singing:
I love my WHITE shoes
I love my WHITE shoes
I love my WHITE shoes
But then we turn the page and he steps into a pile of strawberries, making his shoes RED. This is followed by blueberries turning the shoes BLUE and mud making the new tennis shoes BROWN! Lastly, he meets with a bucket of water and his shoes return to WHITE but are now WET! But ever-optimistic, Pete goes on strumming along not minding:
I love my WET shoes
I love my WET shoes
I love my WET shoes
And he firmly believe that “it’s all good.”
This book is a good educational tool for color recognition and sequencing of events. It is also a lesson in optimism in the face of hardship. It was originally self-published by the author and illustrator in 2008, then published by Harper Collins in 2010. It reached the New York Times best seller list for Best Picture Books. You can access the song about Pete the Cat from this website. An interesting piece of trivia about this story is that the illustrator, James Dean, made Pete the Cat dark blue because he thought black cats were unlucky! Enjoy!
Check the WRL catalog for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.
I LOVE HIS POSITIVE ATITUDE
HE SOUNDS COOL