Pete's Big Lunch

July 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2- In Big Lunch, Pete decides to make a sandwich. Of course, the more he adds, the bigger it becomes. This is a good thing because he is really, really hungry. He forgets to remove the wrappers and adds cans, jars, and boxes to the ever-teetering tower of items. As he piles on the food, children's giggles will grow right along with the expanding "sandwich." Once it becomes too big for the small cat to consume, he must think of a clever solution to his dilemma, which he does with a little help from his friends. In Play Ball!, Pete is baseball ready and his team, the Rocks, are facing the Rolls in a big game. The players warm up and, when the game is over, both sides greet one another with high fives. Even though Pete does not play his best game, he has a good attitude about making mistakes and not being sad about errors he made. This is a great title to spark a discussion about sportsmanship. In both books, simple cartoon art in bold colors and large text make the books a treat for beginning readers.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2013
Preschool-G According to the giant wristwatch on Pete the cat's skinny arm, it's 12 o'clock, which means it's lunchtime. Pete decides on a sandwich and starts with a loaf of bread, a yummy fish, tomato, and mayo. But the sandwich is too small, so Pete adds a pickle. / Pete adds cheese. / Pete adds an egg, / two hot dogs, / a banana, / and a can of beans. But when his enormous eyes are bigger than his belly, Pete whips out his cell and invites friends to share. As in the previous Pete the Cat books, Dean's naf blue feline is a real charmer and the simple sentences are spot-on for emergent readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)