This Is Your Life, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete by James Dean

PETE LOVES TO PLAY WITH HIS FRIENDS AND TRY NEW THINGS.

Pete is a groovy cat who needs no introduction to most kids. But for those tykes just being introduced to books, his creator, James Dean, has provided him with a vita of his own, a brand-new tabbed board book, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete (Harper Festival, 2017).

With tabs at the top and right side of this sturdy board book, young readers can access thumbnail pictures and descriptions of Pete and his besties--Bob, his brother, who teaches Pete what he needs to know; Pete's Mom and Dad, who are far-out parents who drive him to lessons and teach him new stuff to do; Callie, the nicest cat around, Emma, a dandy dog who plays catch with Pete; Grumpy Toad, who hits the road on his monster cycle; Gus, Pete's shy but persistent percussionist, and Marty the Monkey, who take care of the necessary silliness for the group.

For tots who are likely to need a cast of characters before tackling the many adventures of Pete The Cat, this little board book is a handy guide, not only to all things Pete, but also as an introduction to the concept of the table of contents for any book, a nice gift for the youngest Pete fans!

Holiday Liftoff! Splat the Cat: Christmas Countdown by Rob Scotten

IT'S SUNDOWN ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

Splat the Cat should be chilling out beside the tree with the family and dreaming of sugarplums and stuffed stockings on Christmas morning.

But, noooooo! The frenetic Splat decides that there's not enough space in his living room for Santa to unload his presents. He chooses a tall, skinny, scratchy fir tree that doesn't spread its branches too far, topped by a tall skinny but shiny star.

Scat stays up, wrapping his gifts is sparkly paper, getting himself well tangled in the textured grosgrain red ribbons. And then, at last it is bedtime, and Scat is sure that in the morning he'll find that SANTA HAS COME!

And he does.

For young ones just beginning to get the holiday hang of the season, with tree decoration and holiday gifts to come, Rob Scotton's touch-feely little Scat the Cat story, Splat the Cat: Christmas Countdown (Harper Festival, 2015) is great, with its illustrations offering tactile experience for toddlers and tots amid the preparations of Christmas.  This one is the perfect open-before-Christmas book for the very youngest.

Back-to-School: Pete the Cat's Got Class by James Dean

"IT'S MATH TIME!" SAYS PETE'S TEACHER, MR. G.

PETE THE CAT LOVES MATH. HE LOVES HOW THE NUMBERS GO TOGETHER.

Pete is cool with math at school. He even enjoys math homework!

But his buddy Tom doesn't feel that way.

"I HATE MATH!" SAYS TOM.

"YOU JUST DON'T LOVE IT YET!" SAYS PETE.

Pete goes home after school with Tom to help him out with his math.

"HELP IS COOL!"

But Tom is not cool with math. He pronounces it boring.

When counting up colored blocks doesn't do the trick with addition, Pete gets an idea. Tom loves his cars, and Pete gets Tom's attention by turning the homework problems into car exercises, and turning the mathematical digits into race cars. Tom gets the point of math, and the two race through their homework in record time.

But after school the next day, Tom and Pete find themselves called on the carpet by Mr. G., who accuses Pete of letting Tom copy his homework. Can Tom stand up to Mr. G. and demonstrate that he now understands addition?

In James Dean's latest, Pete the Cat's Got Class (Harper, 2016), Tom makes it into the winner's circle, using his collection of cars as exhibit A for Arithmetic, and he and Pete are on their way to getting an A on their report cards. Dean's familiar blue cat, the class of his class, is still walkin' in his school shoes in a special lesson in how to be cool at school, just in time for the back-to-school season. This inexpensive little paperback also includes a large "School Is Cool" poster and a set of punch-out flash cards as a vehicle for polishing up those basic math skills before the bell rings for the first day back.

Fear the Fine! Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book by Rob Scotton and Robert Eberz

"IT'S TIME TO GO THROUGH YOUR CLOSET AND DONATE THE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T NEED ANYMORE TO KIDS WHO DO," HIS MOM HAD SAID.

SPLAT THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

And at the time, Splat did think it was a good idea.

But in the big round-up of giveaways, he realizes that his late library book has gone missing.

Splat the Cat is panicking. He feels terrible, and it is all his fault. He loved the book, Tiger Tales by Ben Gall, so much that he sort of accidentally on purpose hid the book behind something in his closet. And now it is overdue. And he can't find it!

"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?" WORRIED SPLAT. "THE LATE FINE WILL BE GINORMOUS!

WHAT WILL THEY DO TO ME? WILL THEY SEND ME TO JAIL?"

Splat envisages himself in prison stripes incarcerated in the city jail or walking the plank, with a cutlass-wielding librarian prodding him with a vengeance.

Splat shakes his piggy bank, hoping to find enough money to pay for the book, but all he has is one puny quarter. Oblivious to Splat's fears, his family loads up the giveaways. They drop off the clothes at the shelter and then head for the next stop, with Splat still anguishing over his guilt in the back seat.

"THE BOOKS CAN GO TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY," SAID DAD.

"THEY'RE HAVING A BOOK DRIVE. PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS RETURN BOOKS THEY CHECK OUT."

No joke, thinks Splat, steeling himself to face Mrs. Sardino, the librarian.

But scofflaw Splat is in luck this time. As young readers are likely to have guessed by this point, the missing book turns out to be in the box of giveaways that his parents unpack at the library, in the latest in Rob Scotten's easy reader series, Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book (Harper Festival, 2016). Scat is quite a cat, and artist Scotten's funny and familiar worrywort character helps ease kids through the anxieties of first grade life just as Marc Brown's Arthur Adventures series has done for second and third graders. With brief text, comic thought balloons which provide cues to the narrative, this one is inexpensive, great for sharing, and a rather easy read for beginning readers.

Both Sides Now: Frank and Laverne by Dave Whamond and Jennifer Stokes

SUNDAY 0600 hours

Woke up and went outside for Squirrel Patrol.

Then I woke up Laverne.

BARK BARK BARKITTY BARK!

In combat gear Frank the Pug goes on patrol, defending his humans and his co-pet Laverne the Cat against that elusive enemy, the squirrels who infiltrate the backyard. Frank sees Laverne as his comrade in arms.

We do basic training exercises together every day. I love Laverne.

Frank is always on duty. His job is to be underfoot while the humans try to get off to work and school and always to locate that slimy tennis ball no matter how wildly Sam the Kid throws it. Frank is a happy and fulfilled dog.

Dogs like me prefer the simple things.

A nice shoe after a good meal.

The pure joy of barking.

Poor Frank is unaware that Laverne doesn't share his point of view. Laverne hates the pre-dawn call to duty. She glares at Frank as she endures his sloppy affection while she pulls up her daily schedule on the laptop:

10:00 a.m. Nap

10:30 a.m. Knead cat bed.

10:32 a.m. Nap

Yep. Dogs and cats lead different lives. Frank loves his fish toy. He loves barking and chasing squirrels. He loves the exotic aroma of the truck on Garbage Day. Laverne loves her bed. She loves hiding Frank's smelly toy and snitching on him when he chews the rug and climbs on the furniture for neighborhood watch time.

But Frank and Laverne are bound by one common enemy--Carl, the enormous and vicious Great Dane nextdoor, whose slavering snarls are heard over the tall board fence between their yards. Frank tries to sound bigger than he is, and Laverne loves walking the top of the fence just beyond Carl's ravening jaws to whip him into a frenzy.

But then, one day when Frank is coming up with some especially impressive yapping aimed at Carl, Laverne just can't resist trying a dirty cat trick. She lifts the latch on the gate in the fence and poor clueless Frank dashes through, only to face the fangs of the waiting Carl.

Frank flees as fast as he can on his silly short legs back into his own territory, and Laverne gives herself a dope slap as she realizes that her mischief has backfired spectacularly.

I realized those fleabags were running in circles.

There were now two dogs in my yard.

That would not do.

Sometimes a cat has to do what a cat has to do. Laverne unsheathes her unique weaponry and launches a deadly strike from above.

Dave Whamond's and Jennifer Stokes' Frank and Laverne (Owlkids Books, 2016) is a truly funny look at the eternal war between dogs and cats and the humor of their occasional liaisons. Whamond and Stokes' shtick here is the reversible book in which first Frank and then Laverne tell their versions of the same story, ending at the same outcome in the middle. There are two sides to every story, and the contrast between the canine and feline takes on life are part of the fun, a mini-lesson on the importance of point of view in a narration.

Whamond and Stokes give us some hilarious illustrations which point up the differences between Frank's naive infatuation with everything and Laverne's sardonic take on what she sees as the idiocies of dogs in general and Frank in particular. Loyal devotees of Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy (see reviews here) will love Frank and Laverne's wry version of the eternal story of Cat Vs. Dog!

Says School Library Journal, "bright, expressive cartoon illustrations will certainly draw in the younger crowd, who may enjoy this book over and over again, understanding more and more each time."

More Mice? Splat the Cat: Twice the Mice by Rob Scotton, creator

DEAR BRICE,

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT? WE COULD PLAY OUR FAVORITE GAME, MICE AND DICE!

YOUR BROTHER,
SEYMOUR

When Splat the Cat learns that his buddy Seymour the Mouse is missing his brother, he goes into instant host with most mode.

He breaks out the brie and the bleu and dons his Swiss cheese tee! He stays awake half the night trying to come up with a really wonderful way to welcome Brice!

At last he thinks he's got the perfect plan. He is sure he's got the perfect idea. It's twice as nice!

"I'LL MAKE A SCULPTURE OUT OF ICE!"

And the likeness of Brice is worth the work. Splat is ecstatic.

But the next morning, when Seymour and Splat dash downstairs to welcome Brice, the sculpture has melted quite a bit.

IT WAS NOW VERY SMALL.

And the impetuous Splat slips in the slippery ice water, Ker-SPLAT! Splat's big welcome falls flat.

But Brice is nice about his diminished likeness, declaring it the perfect size for a mouse, in the latest I Can Read Level 1 cat-astrophe, Splat the Cat: Twice the Mice (I Can Read Level 1) (Harper, 2015). Based on Rob Scotton's super-star cat, with text by Jacqueline Rasnick and Scotton-style illustrations by Robert Eberz, this beginning reader book gives early readers a workout with the -ICE sound and a new visit with the irrepressible Splat the Cat.

For more cool cat tales, pair this one with Splat's snow-job saga, Splat the Cat and the Snowy Day Surprise.

Cat and Mouse Story. How to Catch a Mouse by Philippa Leathers

THIS IS CLEMMIE. CLEMMIE IS A BRAVE, FEARSOME MOUSE CATCHER.

SHE IS EXCELLENT AT STALKING AND CHASING--SHE'S PATIENT AND ALERT.

All good qualities for an apprentice mouser, certainly. However, Clemmie has never actually seen a mouse, which she takes as an affirmation of her mouse-deterring powers. Still, to be thorough, she consults a book, How to Spot A Mouse.

A MOUSE HAS A LONG PINK TALE.

Oblivious to the gray mouse readomg over her shoulder, Clemmie looks about for something long, pink, and tail-like Ah, there!!

As Mouse struts by with a fluffy purple yarn bunny tail tied around his middle, the kitty spots something long and pink dangling from the table. Pounce!

OOPS! A big garden hat with long chin strings fall over her. The mouse snickers.

Clemmie looks for something with round ears. Oblivious of Mouse with a pink sock over his ears, she spots something suspicious. There, under the bed! Ooops. A toy panda. Rats!

Mice have wiggly black whiskers! What's that on the shelf in the bathroom? Crash!

Ick! A long-legged spider! Run away! Run away!

Clemmie hears some crinkly noises from the kitchen. A noshing mouse messing with the family's crackers? Pounce! Clemmie's got nothing in her paws, while a giggling mouse in fake nose and glasses slips away from the scene with a snack.

Aha! Two can play at that game. Clemmie, clad in a sleuth-ish trenchcoat and fedora conceals herself among the hanging jackets on the coat rack. And what is that she sees walking confidently by? A mouse? At last a positive visual ID!

And the chase is on, in Philippa Leathers' How to Catch a Mouse (Candlewick Press, 2015). Leathers' Clemmie is about the cutest mouse-catcher kitty ever, but her prey has more disguises than Sherlock, all quite easy to see through for the preschoolers who will have plenty of fun spotting Clemmie's equally appealing Mouse on every page. School Library Journal says, "A sweetly funny tale for storytimes or one-on-one read-alouds."

Canny Kitty: Itty Bitty Kitty by Joan Holub

"MOM AND DAD, CAN I GET A CAT?" ASKED AVA. "PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE?"

"CATS SHED!" SAID DAD, LOOKING DOUBTFUL.

"CATS MUST BE REGULARLY FED!" SAID MOM.

"MAYBE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER."

That's not what any pet-seeking kid wants to hear. And besides, Ava knows she can handle cat care capably.

Then opportunity calls, when Ava hears a plaintive mew near her in the park.

IT WAS A FURRY, PURRY, SNUGGLY, CUDDLY CUTIE PATOOTIE.

What's a kid to do when faced with with a teeny-tiny itty bitty kitty who needs a home?

What else? Ava smuggles the snuggly little kitty into the house and keeps it hidden from Mom and Dad, certain that she can take care of the kitty, and when Mom or Dad discovers her new pet, they will realize that she is plenty mature enough to take care of such a small critter.

There's just one problem that makes itself evident in a few days. No, it's not hiding that tell-tale litterbox smell.

AFTER ONLY ONE WEEK, HE WAS NO LONGER ACTUALLY ITTY BITTY!

Things get a bit testy around the house when Ava is found to be harboring a really BIG CAT! Will Ava get to keep her snuggle buddy?

Luckily, fate steps in when her heavy-duty feline turns out to be a hero when Ava's baby brother takes a tumble in the dead of night, and it's ITTY Bitty to the rescue!

It's a PURRFECT ending, in Joan Holub's latest Itty Bitty Kitty (Harper, 2015). While most would-be pet owners aren't lucky enough to have their prospective pet turn out to be a hero, a kid can always hope, can't she? Author Joan Holub's jolly rhyming and artist James Burke's extravagant illustrations give this hopeful wish-fulfillment fancy a lot of fun for furry pet lovers.

Averting Cat-astrophe! Just A Duck? by Carin Bramsen

"MY GOOD FRIEND DUCK! WHY DO YOU SLINK LIKE THAT? SAID CAT.

I AM A CAT," SAID DUCK.

"BUT YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE ME.

I WILL, WHEN I GROW UP. YOU'LL SEE!" SAID DUCK.

Cat and Duck are best friends, and Duck wants to do everything Cat can do.

But cat can do some intimidating things. Slinking is the easiest of them, as the little duckling ducks his fuzzy head low and waddles unseen through the tall grass.

Cat points out that Duck doesn't seem to have two pointy ears. He doesn't seem to have any ears!

Duck is undeterred, and the empathetic Cat rushes to reassure his friend. Maybe duck will grow some ears soon, he suggests.

To encourage his friend, he promises to show him his favorite tree.

"I'LL RACE YOU TO THE TOP!" HE SAYS. "LET'S GO!"

But climbing a tree is a no-go for webbed feet. Duck quickly finds himself on his back on the ground, looking up at Cat in the tree. It seems claws are required for climbing.

"YOUR CLAWS MIGHT NEED SOME TIME TO GROW," CAT SAYS HOPEFULLY.

The two agree that while they wait for Duck's ears and claws to grow, they will do something they can both do already. Cat suggests a game of chase, and when Cat gets too close, Duck flutters into the lake. Cat leaps after him, and ....

SPLASH!

Cat struggles in the chilly water and manages to clamber precariously up on a log, His fur is bedraggled and his eyes are wild.

Duck paddles speedily to Cat, gently pushing the log toward the shore, where Cat makes his trademark leap for the land. Duck swims up and beaches himself neatly, and Cat is agog at his friend's swimming.

"ARE YOU SOME SORT OF SUPERCAT?" HE ASKS HIS WEB-FOOTED FRIEND.

But Duck has to tell it like it is. He's just a duck who can do what ducks do, in Carin Bramsen's sweet story of unlikely friends, Just a Duck? (Random House, 2015). Sometimes opposites attract, and readers know that somehow this odd couple will be combining their talents in more adventures to come. Bramsen's illustrations are soft and textured, with big baby eyes and AWWWW-inspiring charm that is nigh irresistible. Youngsters will identify with the problem of accepting differences with their playmates. Not everybody is good at everything friends can do, but as Duck's water rescue proves, different strokes for different folks can often get the job done.

Pair this one with its predecessor, Hey, Duck! for a ducky spring duo.

"A gently funny story of the differences, similarities, and compromises that make for rewarding friendships," says Publishers Weekly.

Snow Job: Splat the Cat: Blow, Snow, Blow! by Rob Scotton, et al

SPLAT STARED OUT THE WINDOW.

"WHEN WILL IT SNOW?" HE ASKED.

Like many kids in the northern hemisphere, Splat is on a snow watch. He's got great plans--to build a snowcat, the hugest snowcat ever!

It's cold, and the gray clouds are spitting out a few snowflakes, but the impatient Splat doesn't go for this s-l-o-w snow!

Mom tells Splat to give it a rest.

But he and Little Sis head outside to scrape up the so-so snow. They manage to get enough to make a doll-sized snowcat, but with a pink bow for its head, Sis claims it as her own kitty creation. Phooey!

Si when the gray clouds don't deliver the goods, Splat decides to take over the task on his own. What does it take to make snow, anyway?

Ice? Splat fills a bowl with ice. Fluffy stuff? He empties the feathers from his pillow over the ice. But how to get it to float down on the landscape. He needs some wind to blow the snow.

A fan?

Splat gets a face full of feathers! Faux snow's a no-go!

Double Phooey! The only white stuff Splat gets are the marshmallows in his cocoa by the fire, but in the morning.... a big snowfall covers everything. Snowcat, here they come!

Based on Rob Scotton's classy black kitty character, Splat the Cat: Blow, Snow, Blow (I Can Read Level 1) (Harper, 2015) is on the calendar just in time to keep beginning readers laughing while they keep their eyes on the skies for the first big snow.  With lively but controlled text by Amy Hsu Lin and sprightly cartoon kitties by illustrator Robert Eberz, this easy-reader's snow story's no snow joke.

All Aboard! Pete the Cat's Train Trip by James Dean

PETE THE CAT IS GOING TO VISIT GRANDMA.

HE GETS TO RIDE A TRAIN!

Pete is excited as he, Mom, and brother Bob board the big passenger train. It's a first for him!

"I CAN'T WAIT TO EXPLORE THE TRAIN!" SAYS PETE.

And explore he does! When he tells the conductor collecting tickets how much he loves the train, he gets an invitation to a guided tour, beginning with a walk through the cars back to the caboose, where Pete is thrilled as he watches the train approach and cross over a high bridge!

"WOW!"

The floor rumbles under Pete's feet as they head back toward the front of the train. Pete is surprised to discover Mom and Bob in the snack bar car, where Mom hands him an apple. Moving forward through his own car, Pete finds himself in the engine at the very front!

Pete is wowed again by the sight of the controls--throttle and brake--and then the engineer points to a tunnel ahead.

PETE GETS TO HONK THE HORN AS THEY GO THROUGH.

Pete has a lot to tell Grandma when the train pulls into her station, in James Dean's beginning reader book, Pete the Cat's Train Trip (My First I Can Read) (Harper, 2015). Many kids never get to ride a bona fide passenger train for real, and Dean's vicarious ride with his Pete the Cat is a virtual treat. As usual, Pete dresses for the occasion in his blue-striped overalls and railroader cap and is a enthusiastic guide to what a train trip is like.  With controlled vocabulary and plenty of visual cues to help with decoding the text, this entry in Harper's venerable I-Can-Read series offers a groovy treat for emergent readers.

Just Horsing Around? Pete the Cat: Scuba-Cat by James Dean

PETE THE CAT IS EXCITED.

HE'S GOING SCUBA DIVING!

Pete gets suited up in his swim fins and whisker-sparing mask and takes the plunge, ready to see the underwater world.

Is Pete looking to see a catfish?

Strangely, no. His goal is to see a seahorse.

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN HE GOES.

UP, UP, UP GO THE BUBBLES.

Right away Pete begins to look for seahorses. He sees a swordfish, a blowfish, an octopus, and a stingray, but not a single seahorse.

Then he feels a tickle around his ankles, but all he sees is a school of very small fish swimming by. He swims into a cave where he meets up with a crab with very large claws and a sinuous jellyfish that glows in the dark. But it gets darker and darker as he goes further into the cave, so Pete backtracks out into the open water. Something tickles his shoulder, just as Pete notices it's getting strangely dark again. But he's out of the cave....

SO WHY IS IT GETTING DARKER?

HE'S IN THE SHADOW OF... A WHALE!

Pete wishes a seahorse would appear so he could jump on and ride away, but he settles for hitching a ride on a passing sea turtle who tows him right back to the dive boat.

Pete has seen a lot under the sea, but not a single seahorse! Then he feels that tickle again, this time on his trailing tail.

A SEAHORSE!!

YOU WERE WITH ME ALL ALONG!

Pete's scuba swim is a success at last in James Dean's new Pete the Cat: Scuba-Cat (My First I Can Read) (Harper, 2016). Written with controlled vocabulary for emergent readers, Dean's just published book in Harper's famed easy reader series matches guided reading practice with information about common sea animals in a novel story with his unflappable Pete the Cat, which just might lead youngsters to more books about the sea, perhaps Caldecott winner Arnold Lobel's golden oldie Seahorse (Science I Can Read Book).

Out of the Dark: The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein

In the dark of the night, the house is still. Everyone is sleeping.

Everyone except Sylvie the cat.

"ME-OUT? ME-OUT?" SHE CALLS.

A tousled-haired boy sits up and sees his cat sitting silhouetted on the open window sill. Outside the world is gray-black in the starlight, but the air is warm and somehow sweet and inviting.

Downstairs, past the goldfish motionless in his bowl, the boy and Sylvie tiptoe to the back door. Sylvie urges him on.

"ME-OUT!"

"IT'S ALMOST HERE!"

They slip through the door into a world that is both familiar and unknown.

It is his own backyard, where he plays in the day, but the colors are not there. The grass is gray, the trees are a darker gray, and...

"ARE THESE LILIES AND SUNFLOWERS?

WHERE ARE THEIR COLORS?"

A shadowy deer and small animal shapes stare at them from the dark shapes of the bushes. And then there's a stirring in the trees. The birds are waking. The animals slip back into the dark trees, ready for their bedtime, as a pink glow begins low in the starry sky. Colors begin to grow down below, too.

THE GRASS TURNS GREEN. THE ROSES TURN PINK AND RED.

"GOOD MORNING, SUN!" SAYS SYLVIE.

"IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY."

In a lovely celebration of the transformation of night to day, Caldecott winner Mordicai Gerstein's The Night World (Little, Brown and Company, 2015) captures the magic of the night and the glories of the dawn through the eyes of a child. And who better to be his guide than a cat, that familiar but mysterious beast both matutinal and crepescular, active at twilight and dawn, the perfect go-between for the dark nocturnal world and the busy diurnal world best known to us humans. Executed mostly on gray art paper with pencil, Gerstein's nighttime scenes evoke soft wonder rather than fear, and his invocation of the dawn calls forth a sort of primeval awe for the return of the color- and life-giving morning sun that even youngsters will feel.

The stars came out for this new book from all the reviewing journals, signalling a title which may get major attention when award-time rolls around.

For slightly older readers, don't miss the magic of Gerstein's Caldecott Medal book of the famous tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (see my 2008 review here).

Sleepover Shuteye Song: Pete The Cat and the Bedtime Blues by Kimberly and James Dean

It's a cowabunga day on their surfboards for Pete the Cat and his buddies, but as the sun sinks over the breakers, they are having too much fun to call it a day. To keep their groove goin', they decide to have a far-out sleepover party at Pete's house.

But after scarfing up the pizza and partying hearty, Pete's eyelids are even more droopy than usual. He climbs into his stripey PJs and tells his friends it's time to catch some zzzzzs.

"GOODNIGHT, GUS.

GOODNIGHT, GATOR.

GOODNIGHT, TOAD."

But it seems that Pete is the only one in a shuteye groove.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

"WHO DID THAT?" SAID PETE.

"IT WAS ME!" SAID GRUMPY TOAD.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO TO BED.

I WANT TO CLAP INSTEAD."

The rest of his guests are also in the mood to pull an all-nighter. Gus the Platypus wants to drum and jam the night away, and Gator has the midnight munchies. But Pete is not in the mood for food!

What's a host to do? Pete has an idea. Perhaps an absorbing bedtime story will divert his guests. He pulls out a book, Pete the Cat and the Ten Little Monsters, and his pals pop into their sleeping bags to listen. Now, if only Pete can stay awake long enough to finish the book!

Kimberly and James Dean's brand-new Pete title, Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues (Harper, 2015) has their popular cool cat dealing with a ticklish social problem, getting his rowdy buddies to cool it so he can get his beauty sleep. A particularly eye-pleasing palette of cool nighttime blues, right down to Pete's blue sleepytime wear, gives this story plenty of eye appeal, a new Pete tale that is indeed the cat's pajamas!

Pair this one with the irresistible MerryMakers Pete the Cat Bedtime Blues Plush Doll, 14.5", dressed for snoozing in his blue-striped PJs and perfect for a role as a Christmas Eve dreamland lovey pal.

Live at Five! Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins by James Dean

Five painted pumpkin heads... were planted on a gate!

Along with Pete the Cat... on Halloween!

Never a cat to miss a big event, Pete joins some friendly pumpkin heads, decorated as pirates, a vampire pumpkin, and one Frankenhead.

The first pumpkin on the gate takes note that it's late, and the the second points out witches flying through the air. The third pumpkin doesn't have a care, the fourth pumpkin proposes a run, and the fifth and last suggests that they try to have some fun. They're off, on a roll--on five skateboards, with Pete sharing his own board with a pirate pumpkin with an eye patch.

OOOOH! WENT THE WIND

OUT WENT THE LIGHTS!

AND THE FIVE LITLE PUMPKINS,

ROLLED OUT OF SIGHT.

The popular poem, "Five Little Pumpkins" is a preschool Halloween staple for youngsters learning to count from one to five, and James Dean's Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins (Harper, 2015) teaches tots to count from one to five as the five jolly jack o' lanterns join the witches, ghosts, vampires, and bats on All Hallow's Eve. Dean's familiar faux naif style is not displaced by the creepy crowd one bit, and Pete the Cat is definitely "walking in his red shoes" for this one.

But if you have planned a holiday-ish class reading circle or a festive bedtime read, you're going to need a few more books as back-up for this short and sweet fare. On the other hand, the limited but rhythmic text and rockin' rhymes make it a natural for emergent readers to read solo to themselves.

Share this one with a review of the countdown in Marcia Vaughn's vivacious Five Pesky Pumpkins: A Counting Book with Flaps and Pop-Ups!, whose five Jack o' Lanterns make their disappearances with a great deal more drama, and Margaret McNamara's classroom classic, How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series), (read review here). And have a pumpkin at hand for Halloween carving!

When Life Gives You Lemons....: Mr. Putter and Tabby Smell the Roses by Cynthia Rylant

MR. PUTTER AND HIS FINE CAT, TABBY, LIVED NEXT DOOR TO MRS. TEABERRY AND HER GOOD DOG, ZEKE.

TABBY AND ZEKE DID EVERYTHING MR. PUTTER AND MRS. TEABERRY DID.

EXCEPT SOMETIMES ZEKE DID IT THE HARD WAY.

Tabby made a fine Christmas reindeer when she wore her antlers for Christmas. Zeke was cool in his cowl and Batman cape at Halloween. But now Mrs. Teaberry's birthday is coming up on Saturday, and Mr. Putter wants to do something special--but different--for this birthday.

They'd done cake and ice cream. Mr. Putter had blown up many balloons.

But they were always done for when Zeke got his fine teeth into them.

Over several thoughtful cups of cocoa, Mr. Putter finally has an inspiration. He will escort Mrs. Teaberry to the Conservatory. Mrs. Teaberry was partial to beautiful trees, exotic plants, and flowers, especially roses.

On Saturday Mr. Putter wore his best striped tie and pomade on his hair.

"POMADE MAKES THE MAN!" HE TOLD TABBY.

He cranked up his blue Buick with its brand-new tires, and Mrs. Teaberry wore her ruffly dress and zebra earrings. Zeke wore his zebra-striped dog sweater.

But although Zeke was a good dog, he was not always as well-behaved as Tabby. So Mr. Putter had a plan.

MR. PUTTER HAD TOLD ZEKE THAT IF HE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD, HE MIGHT GET A SURPRISE.

ZEKE LIVED FOR SURPRISES.

For five minutes, Zeke was extra good.

THEN HE SAW THE BANANA TREE.

ZEKE THOUGHT THE BANANA TREE WAS HIS SURPRISE.

Zeke sprang straight up and brought down a bunch of bananas. The guard tweeted his whistle, loud and shrill. Startled, Tabby sprang straight up to take refuge in a lemon tree.

Apparently the lemons were ripe, because they rained down on the heads of Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry and several other plant lovers below.

So, clutching fallen bananas and lemons, Mr. Putter, Tabby, Zeke, and Mrs. Teaberry, made a run for it to Mr. Putter's big blue Buick. And having made their getaway, all four of them celebrated at the ice cream parlor with strawberry cake and ice cream. And the next day there was another surprise. . .

LEMONADE!

All's well that ends well, as it always does when Mr. Potter and Tabby entertain, in Cynthia Rylant's brand-new Mr. Putter & Tabby Smell the Roses (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015), the  latest (and twenty-fourth!) in this beloved beginning reader series. As always, artist Arthur Howard adds his inimitable comic illustrations to the recipe for these gentle and sweet stories of an unlikely pair of human and animal best friends.

A Friend Is Forever: Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert

WINDS HISS OVER DESERT SAND
THE MOON SHINES DOWN ON EMPTY LAND.

AND LONG AGO......THE PHARAOHS HID
THEIR TREASURES IN THIS PYRAMID.

DEEP WITHIN THIS MAZE OF STONE
A CREATURE WAKES UP ALL ALONE.

FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN A HUNDRED YEARS

HE SHAKES OFF DUST.
HE FLICKS HIS EARS.

With the rustle of his wrappings, a mummy cat cat arises from his case and sets off through the chambers of a pyramid, hoping that this will be the once-a-century night that both he and his mistress, the girl-queen Hat-shup-set, are reunited.

OLD AND SMALL,
HE SHUFFLES SLOWLY DOWN THE HALL.

Followed by a retinue of three mice, the royal cat begins to purr as he sees the paintings of happy days with his girl-queen, floating on the Nile, napping in her lap on their golden couch in the shade of palms, posing for Hat-shup-set's drawings as her sister kneels before a writing desk.

But all the memories are not happy, as he views the mural of his death with Hat-shup-set, both victims of a deadly scorpion's sting.

AN END TO DANCES, GAMES AND FEASTS:

TWO SMALL BODIES WRAPPED BY PRIESTS.

Hopefully, Mummy Cat enters the queen's burial chamber, where all her favorite things are arrayed around her sarcophagus.

THIS COLD GOLDEN COFFIN--IS THIS ALL HE GETS?
WHERE IS THE GIRL HE CAN NEVER FORGET?

There is at last the happy, long-hoped-for reunion for the queen and her purring pet, in Marcus Ewert's just published Mummy Cat (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2015), a sweet ending for the youngest readers. And for the older reader, there is another dimension of Mummy Cat's story. Told in hieroglyphs shown in thought bubbles and labels in the wall paintings is the backstory of the Hat-shup-set's envious sister, whose jealousy leads her to capture and release the fatal scorpion which ends her sister's reign and the life of the brave cat who tries to save her.  It is a mystery of an ancient murder revealed and just desserts duly dispensed. Artist Lisa Brown's glowing illustrations tell the story beautifully through detailed drawings done in shadowy shades of gray and tarnished gold which evoke the ghostly presence of evil vengeance, as well as the joyous centennial reunion in which the cat's sad hieroglyphic ME-OW awakens his queen.

An appended author's note, "Mummies, Cats, Queens, and Hieroglyphs," and a table of hieroglyphs appearing in the story give older readers a chance to decode the clues to the whole story which dot the illustrations. This is a layered story which can be read on a dual level with much to intrigue cat-loving youngsters and budding Egyptologists with an ancient story of crime and punishment.

Kitty Kourage Akademy: Miss Hazeltine's Home for Shy and Fearful Cats by Alicia Potter

WHEN MISS HAZELTINE OPENED HER HOME FOR SAD AND FEARFUL CATS, SHE DIDN'T KNOW IF CATS WOULD COME.

BUT COME THEY DID.

Concerned and disgruntled owners soon brought their crestfallen kitties for cat therapy.

"HE'S AFRAID OF MICE!" ONE SAID.

"WON'T PURR!... SCARED OF BIRDS... AFRAID OF EVERYTHING!" THEY REPORT.

But Miss Hazeltine is undaunted, a cat therapist who has just the program, even for poor timid little Crumbs, who dashes to cower, hiding his head under the parlor carpet, virtually CATatonic!

Miss Hazeltine sets up sessions for cognitive-behavioral therapy for common cat anxieties--owls, scary night noises, and that big feline bugaboo, the BROOM.

Even Crumbs makes progress. But will he ever be truly brave?

Then one day Miss Hazeltine runs out of milk. For a group of neurotic cats, that is a serious situation, and she sets out for the nearest dairy farm to fill a couple of milk buckets for her patients. But it grows cloudy and dark and Miss Hazeltine takes a spill off the path. All the kitties peer out the windows and worry.

THEY HADN'T HAD THE LESSON ON WHAT TO DO WHEN THE LADY THEY LOVED WENT MISSING!

But in the best tradition of timid heroes, Crumbs is the one who leads the rescue, in Alicia Potter's captivating tale of kitty rehab, Miss Hazeltine's Home for Shy and Fearful Cats (Alfred A Knopf, 2015). Artist Birgitta Sif contributes her unusual style of humorous illustrations portraying Miss Hazeltine's meditation sessions and yoga poses for her cat clients and immersion therapy with the broom. As Kirkus Reviews says, "Sif's quirky, pencil-drawn, digitally colored illustrations... perfectly paired with the text... add visual interest and a charming freshness."

A clever narration and comic art come together like a cat and cream in this witty kitty tale that is just the cat's meow.

Keep Strummin': Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Life by Kimberly and James Dean

IT'S ALL GOOD.

For advice for the ups and downs of life, Pete already has had the last word. Pete is a cool cat, no doubt about that, but even cool cats can learn from others, and for tips for leading an awesome life Pete has collected some of the best. Where to start? Well, as the famed English poet says...

TO BEGIN, BEGIN.-- William Wordsworth

OPPORTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WORK. -- Thomas Edison

BE YOURSELF. EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.-- Oscar Wilde

MOST PEOPLE ARE AS HAPPY AS THEY MAKE UP THEIR MINDS TO BE.--Abe Lincoln

For these apt aphorisms and more, Kimberly and James Dean's Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Life (Harper, 2015) takes a laid-back look at the wit and wisdom of the wise who have gone before in their newest Tips from a Cool Cat for Living an Awesome Life. Despite James Dean's faux naif style of illustrating, this book is more for older kids and grownups, perhaps even Dad on Fathers Day, featuring as it does sagacious, worldly wise, but witty sayings from Da Vinci to the Dalai Lama, Wayne Gretzky to Pablo Picasso. In his inimitable style Pete has his own version of each proverb, maxim, adage, or dictum rendered in Pete-speak. When William Shakespeare says "If music be the food of love--Play On," Pete says, "Keep strummin'." "Nuff said!"

It's Not Nice To Fool the Tooth Fairy! Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood

CAT! YOU LOST A TOOTH?
DID THE TOOTH FAIRY COME?

SHE LEFT YOU A COIN?

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

YOU WANT TO MEET HER? AWW, CAT!

Deborah Underwood's bewhiskered shyster is back, this time trying to trick the Tooth Fairy into making a return visit so he can cop another coin and sneak a peek at the celebrity fairy. He sneakily stows a tooth from a broken comb under his pillow. What can go wrong?

But what he gets is a visit from the delivery man with a card from the Fairy for Cat.

IF YOU HELP ME WITH A FEW DELIVERIES, MAYBE WE CAN MEET!

Wow! The Tooth Fairy is on to his hoax. She sends him a tutu, some wings, a list of lost-tooth customers needing delivery, and....

P.S: YOU'LL HAVE A HELPER!

I WONDER WHAT THAT MEANS.

POOF! A chagrined little mouse in tiny wings and tutu appears, obviously busted for the same bunco caper. Cat tries ripping up the list, but apparently the Tooth Fairy is doing due diligence surveillance and a "Spare List" promptly floats down.

There's nothing for it but for Cat and Mouse to get going on their deliveries, and they soon find out that being tooth fairy trainees is not cushy duty. Their deliveries include a grumpy gopher down a hole (a job for a burrowing mouse), a squirrel in a hollow tree (Cat is the designated tall tree climber) and a bear in a cave (Mouse goes in for the tooth exchange, but Cat has to come to his rescue when a ticklish situation develops inside). Whew!

Penance done, Cat returns home with more respect for the Tooth Fairy, in Underwood's latest Cat story, Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat (Dial Books, 2015), which uses a creative format in which Cat communicates by facial expressions, body language, and picture placards, and the narrator acts as the interlocutor to suggest what Cat is really up to. The shrewd narrator apparently knows Cat all too well. He's a con man of a cat, but as in Deborah Underwood's earlier Here Comes the Easter Cat (read review here) and Here Comes Santa Cat, the Tooth Fairy is on to Cat's tricks, and teaches him a lesson in what it really takes to do the job right.

But to make this inventive book design work, the author needs just the right illustrator, and luckily she has one, Claudia Rueda, who shared the duties on the previous Cat books. Rueda's deft drawings subtly express Cat's hustler intentions with sly humor, making this one a great addition to the limited library of tooth fairy lit for young readers. Kirkus Reviews agrees: "Clever fun continues in this delightful series."

Pair this with Lucy Bate's classic Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth. for a toothful twosome of treats.