Rocking in My School Shoes

June 27, 2011
In his previous outing, blue cat Pete proved his ability to roll with the punches when his white sneakers were accidentally stained red. Sporting the red treads for the first day of school (they match his electric guitar), Pete is again unflappable. "Pete has never been to the library before! Does Pete worry? Goodness, no! He finds his favorite book and sings his song." School setting aside, little differentiates this book from its predecessor. There's humor to be found in the deadpan expressions of Pete and his fellow cats as he sits with friends in the lunchroom, plays at recess, and solves math problems on the board. But whether the simple refrain and Pete's blasé attitude actually assuage anxious schoolgoers is another story. Pete's song is available as a download. Ages 3â7.

June 1, 2011

Pete, the strangely popular musical cat, is back (Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, 2010), this time showing off all the things he can do in his school shoes.

"Pete is going to school, / and he sings this song: / 'I'm rocking in my school shoes, / I'm rocking in my school shoes, / I'm rocking in my school shoes.' " Readers follow the self-confident Pete through his day as he tackles each new experience. Never been to the library? "Does Pete worry? / Goodness, no!" He just reads in his school shoes. From the lunchroom to the playground, Pete eats, sings, paints, adds and writes. Repetitive refrains abound, giving children the chance to chime in, and there is also an opportunity to guess Pete's destination from clues within the text. As in Pete's first outing, there is not much here to get excited about. It seems to be all about the tune and the song that Pete sings. Luckily, the book includes a gift card with a link to a downloadable song (unheard). Dean's Pete is a hip, laid-back navy-blue cat in enormous high-top red sneakers and sometimes carries a red electric guitar. The long, skinny characters all have half-closed eyes, and all are devoid of facial expression.

As Pete would say, "It's all good," ...unless you don't know the tune—then you just won't get it. (Picture book. 3-7)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2011

PreS-K-In this sequel to Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes (HarperCollins, 2010), Pete is enjoying a day at school. He explores the library, the lunchroom, and the playground, singing happily with each new discovery. As with the first book, this feline is unflappable. He doesn't worry about noise, confusion, or the unfamiliar and takes everything in stride. The problem with this book seems to be the target audience. The repetition and the simple concepts in the first book appeal largely to the preschool set. That same structure is present here, but a school setting that features a library, a lunchroom, riding a school bus, etc., would seem to indicate a child in kindergarten, who has probably moved beyond Pete. Dean's cartoon illustrations are bright and cheerful, although Pete alternates between walking erect with two sneakers and walking on all fours wearing four. Purchase if you service a large preschool population where the first title is popular, but elementary schools can probably pass in favor of something with a little more substance.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Nathan - Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes is fantastic! I think this book is for 1st to 2nd. For 3rd graders that book is the wrong grade level. That book is awesome because Pete’s shoes was amazing and brand new. My favorite part is when Pete was wearing his shoes. Why I like those shoes I like those shoes because Pete's shoes looks perfect for me,and I always wanted those shoes,and they look like rock star shoes. You should read this fun book because Pete had his brand new shoes. Another thing red and white could be your favorite color. Buy it on online or check it out in the library. You should get this book.