Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Created and Illustrated by James Dean

Story by Eric Litwin

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Copyright 2012

40 pages

Fantasy

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons is a book about a cat named Pete. He has four buttons on his shirt, but one falls off his shirt.  After the first button falls, more buttons fall off his shirt. Will Pete get mad about the buttons falling? Will he have any buttons left?

It seems like Eric Litwin used paint to illustrate his book. The bright colors will appeal to young students. Painting the cat blue gives the book a whimsical feel. The illustrations are large enough for students to see when a teacher holds the book up during a read aloud.

This book would be beneficial in a first or second grade classroom. The song that accompanies the book would interest students in early grades. This book could be used for a math lesson. Students could practice adding and subtracting Pete the Cat’s buttons. This book could also be used for a science lesson. Students could choose a type of cat to research. This book could be used for a writing lesson. Students could write their own short story about Pete the Cat. This book received a Theodore Seuss Geisel Award in 2013. It is also an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Younger Readers.