Eric Litwinis a guitar-strumming, song-singing, banjo-picking,
tale-telling, song-writing, national-award-winning,
music-producing, fun, folksy type of guy. He loves to blend song
and story together and is inspired by the depth and simplicity of
folk songs and folktales. Eric is a popular performer, delighting
thousands of children and families every year. He has recorded two
award-winning children's music CDs.
James Dean is the #1 New York Times bestselling creator and
illustrator of Pete the Cat. He is a self-taught artist originally
from Fort Payne, Alabama. He published his first book, The
Misadventures of Pete the Cat, a history of his artwork, in 2006,
and he illustrated his first children's book, Pete the Cat: I Love
My White Shoes, in 2008. There are now dozens of published Pete the
Cat titles, all inspired by James's real-life rescue pet.
Kimberly Dean is an artist, yoga enthusiast, and #1 New York Times
bestselling author. Before fulfilling her dream of becoming a
full-time author and artist, she worked for the governor's press
office in the state of Georgia. Her dreams became a reality in 2013
with the release of her first children's book, Pete the Cat and His
Magic Sunglasses. She has written many books since then, including
the Willow and Oliver series. Kimberly lives in Georgia with her
dog, Gypsy, and cat, Phoebe.
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 (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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