Too Much of a Good Thing? Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly and James Dean

Pete the Cat loves pizza.

Pete the Cat loves parties.

Pete had a idea--he would have a Pizza Party!

Pete knows that the PERFECT pizza is a pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese. What could be better? What could be simpler?

It's an EASY-PEASY PIZZA PARTY!

Pete's friends all arrive, ready to build their own pizza.
There's just one problem....

No one else wants pepperoni with extra cheese.

Callie calls for pretzels on her pizza.

"Well, that's something new," Pete muses. "But maybe pretzels could be groovy, too!"

But Squirrel wants pistachios on his pizza. Grumpy Toad opts for pickle pizza. Gus the Duck prefers popcorn on his pizza, and Alligator picks papayas for his topping. Pete picks up his guitar and plays a riff:

"It's a pizza, a pepperoni, pretzel, pickle and pistachio, popcorn and papaya pizza!"

OUT OF SIGHT!
DYNAMITE!
JUST RIGHT!"

It's different strokes for different folks, and when better to try something new than New Year's Eve, in Kimberly and James Dean's latest Pete The Cat picture book, Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party (Harper, 2019). It seems that if it's hot enough and has cheese on top, it's a pizza, and Pete the Chef makes a diverse pizza for every one of his friends. Kimberly Dean writes the rhymes and artist James Dean draws the daring diners and tasty toppings, even tempting his adventurous eaters with endpapers picturing yet more er, groovy combinations for exotic toppings. just in case they feel like, Oh, I don't know... an avocado and artichoke pizza? Bon Appetit!

Party with Penguins: Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima

HARRIET LOVED COSTUMES!

It's not just that she's sometimes of a mind to climb in a costume for Halloween, or for a fun dress-up play date with a friend, or a special birthday bash.

HARRIET WORE COSTUMES ALL THE TIME.

That's right. Harriet dresses like a dragon for an appointment in the dentist's chair. At the park she's a fairy queen with a dark side, black bat wings.

But today is party day, and Harriet dons her all-purpose costume to run to the corner grocery for snacks. Disguised and decked out in a penguin suit with a red bowtie, she's just realized she forgot the party hats when she finds herself swept up by a passel of penguins--the real kind! Does Harriet need a permit for a penguin parade?

The press of penguins sweeps Harriet along. What about her party hats?

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" SHE QUERIES.

Will Harriet be forced to march as an incognito penguin back to Antarctica? Not if she can hail a ride with a passing orca, in Jessie Sima's Harriet Gets Carried Away (Simon and Schuster, 2018). All's well that ends well, with an elaborate alfresco affair on the rooftop. But is that her friend Olivia in a wolf suit, followed by a pack of little howling wolves? Despite which diva has the, er, wildest costume, it's the party of the season with Harriet in charge, and with the help of the illustrations of clever cartoon drawings of Jessie Sima, it's a party no one will want to miss. Publishers Weeklycalls "Harriet's intrepid adventure a delightful readaloud."

Two for Tea: Tea Time for Sophia Grace and Rosie by Orli Zuravicky

SOPHIA GRACE AND ROSIE JUST LOVED HAVING TEA PARTIES. IN FACT, THE TWO COUSINS HAD ALREADY THROWN SEVERAL OF THEM.

BY NOW THE GIRLS WERE EXPERTS IN EVERY KIND OF TEA PARTY IMAGINABLE.

Well, not exactly. The cousins can't wait to do it again--to tea-par-tay hearty in their best shindig ever.

Will there be invitations? YES! With plenty of pink stickers!

Will it be a fancy dress affair, with tutus and tiaras? Well, of course, dahling!

Will there be a fairy theme with lots of PINK fairy dust? Will there be chocolates and pastries? You know it!

Not much suspense here.

In fact, the only unknown factor in this scenario is whom the cousins will invite to the tea party. They come to an agreement that each will invite one special guest, and the suspense builds to see which special persons will show up on the afternoon of the big soiree'.

Light and slight, Orli Zuravicky's Tea Time with Sophia Grace and Rosie (Orchard Books, 2013) serves up a frothy confection of a story based on the cousins who have appeared on the Ellen show, charming that audience with their oh-so British accents and teatime talk. While the pink-tinged solipsism of Zuravicky's story-time party girls (who, of course, invite only each other to their fete) seems to stress exclusion over inclusiveness, little girls who go for spangled tutus, sparkly tiaras, and of course, rainbow-sprinkled sweets will likely want to be virtual guests at this party.

For a more realistic look at the deeper point of the tea party trend, pair this one with Jane O'Connor's little treatise on friendship, Fancy Nancy: Tea for Two for more substantial tea party fare (see my recent review here).

Pink IS the New Black: Polly's Pink Pajamas by Vivian French

POLLY LOVED HER PINK PAJAMAS.

WHAT DID SHE WEAR TO BED? PINK PAJAMAS.

WHAT DID SHE WEAR WHEN SHE GOT UP? PINK PAJAMAS.

WHAT DID SHE WEAR WHEN SHE ATE BREAKFAST? PINK PAJAMAS.

WHAT DID SHE WEAR ALL DAY LONG? PINK PAJAMAS.

Polly sees nothing wrong with making her little pink pajamas with big red hearts the heart of her wardrobe. Until--she gets a party invitation from her friend Fred. Suddenly Polly has that universal thought--she has nothing to wear!

What's a girl to do on short notice? Of course, Polly turns to her friends for help, and they come through in the pinch. Mia makes the offer of her red ruffled dress; Jo provides a green sweater; Harry has striped socks to contribute to the ensemble; and Claire comes through with some lovely blue shoes.

Back home Polly tries out the loaners in front of a full-length mirror ... and bursts into tears. The borrowed duds are each all right in and of themselves, but together they are a mis-matched and ill-fitting ensemble indeed. There's no way Polly can go to that party looking like this!

But then Fred calls to inquire why she's not there.

OH, FRED! I CAN'T COME. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY PARTY CLOTHES!"

"BUT, POLLY, IT'S NOT A PARTY-CLOTHES PARTY! SAYS FRED. "IT'S A PAJAMA PARTY!"

All's well that ends with pizza, and Fred's party concludes with pizza, bedtime stories, and pajamas for the whole sleepover gang. Vivian French's Polly's Pink Pajamas (Candlewick, 2010), illustrated amiably by Sue Heap, provides a cheery vehicle for reinforcement of basic color concepts (not that many preschool girls need any of that for the color pink!). This one pairs well with other books of the pink persuasion--Cherise Mericle Harper's recent Pink Me Up (see my recent post here,) any of Victoria Kann's best-selling Pinkalicious series, and, of course, Jane O'Connor's many best-selling books about that mother-of-all-pinkanistas, Fancy Nancy.

Nobody's Perfect: Perfectly Arugula by Sarah Dillard

Everything in Arugula's world was just so.

Her house was clean and bright.

There were no weeds in Arugula's garden.

Her quills had just the right shine and bounce.

Arugula was perfect.

Does Arugula yearn to share her wonderful world with her friends? W-e-e-l-l, not exactly. It's more like Arugula wants to show off her perfect house and garden, her lovely things, and her elegant cuisine.

She plans her menu--watercress sandwiches, cream puffs, strawberry cake--and invites everyone she knows--except for Fidget the Squirrel, whose energy and brashness Arugula finds quite annoying and no small danger to her fine china!

Finally the big day arrives. Arugula put the finishing touches on her showpiece--the strawberry cake--and just has time to freshen herself up before the guests begin to arrive. At first the invitees are impressed with Arugula's home and tea table. But the hostess seems more concerned about a chip in her fine teacups, or a nick in her antique teapot, or crumbs on her carpet, or an imperfectly sliced piece of cake to permit her guests to relax and have a good time.

Just as they are looking around for an excuse to take their leave of their obsessive hostess, however, Fidget arrives in a burst of energy.

"Hey, everybody! Let's get this party started!"

It's high anxiety time for Arugula as Fidget breaks out his favorite party tricks--juggling her precious teacups and balancing the elegant cake on his nose.

"Don't try this at home!!

"There's just one thing this party is missing! DANCING!"

Despite herself, Arugula suddenly realizes that her guests are really having a good time--and so is she! Her party is now really perfect.

Sarah Dillard's Perfectly Arugula (Sterling, 2009) is a great reminder that those who are obsessive about having the arrangements perfect sometimes overlook what makes a party itself perfect--fun for everyone, including the hostess. Dillard lays out many of her pages like a comic book, with thought balloons revealing what the guests are really thinking, a device which adds to the irony as Arugula mentally compliments herself on her faultless food and decor while her guests fidget nervously and try to come up with a polite reason to leave. Perfectly Arugula is a humorous book with a small but important message about hospitality.