Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

May 28, 2012
In his fourth picture book, Pete the Cat loves (and sings about) the buttons on his yellow shirt, but when they pop off one by one, he doesn’t freak out: “Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! Buttons come and buttons go.” In bold, primary colors, the number of buttons remaining on the shirt appears at left, both as a numeral and written out, and the diminishing buttons are represented in basic equations (3-1=2). Even after all his buttons are gone, Pete takes it as a cue to go surfing. Readers who need a reminder not to sweat the small stuff will find a model of unflappability in Pete. Ages 3–7.

April 1, 2012
In his third outing Pete the Cat follows the pattern of his previous appearances: Despite repeated wardrobe malfunctions, he maintains his upbeat attitude and bouncy charm. This time around the focus is on the buttons on Pete's favorite shirt, instead of his shoes, and there's even a bit of math involved. Still, for readers who have met Pete previously there's not much here that's new. Pete moves from his cozy chair to a skateboard to the street outside to a surfboard on top of an old-style Volkswagen Beetle. In each spot, for no apparent reason, one button pops off. The repeated refrain asks "Did Pete cry?" and answers "Goodness, no! Buttons come and buttons go." As a song it's likely perky, but read aloud, the text can seem tedious and overlong. Still, the brightly colored, childlike paintings and playful typography should keep kids' attention, and some will also enjoy identifying the large numerals as they count backwards from four to zero. A final twist finds Pete admiring his bellybutton, which will always be with him unlike the "stuff" that "will come and...go," offering the option of a mildly anti-consumerist message for parents who choose to emphasize it. Fans will definitely want to visit the publisher's website to check out the extras, while newcomers will either do the same or let Pete go, depending on their taste. (Picture book. 3-7)

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July 1, 2012

K-Gr 1-Pete loves his special shirt so much that he just has to sing about it all the time: "My buttons, my buttons, /my four groovy buttons. My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons." It's not one of those songs that will repeat itself in children's heads throughout the day. In fact, it is boring. And, it is a large part of the text. As each button pops off, the song changes to adjust to the number left. The question is asked, "Did Pete cry?/Goodness, no./Buttons come and buttons go." The text is slim and repetitive, and the math problems are very simplistic. The text just does not hold readers' interest, but the illustrations are charming and humorous, with a hint of Chris Raschka's pen and gouache style. The blue-black cat has huge eyes and a deadpan expression as he sits on a skateboard, or a surfboard, while buttons fall off his shirt. No matter what, he maintains a reason to sing. When all the buttons are gone, he remembers he still has a button to sing about: his belly button. Not a first choice.-Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Union, Washington & Waldoboro, ME

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