Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

by Eric Litwin, James Dean (Illustrator), Kimberly Dean

Overview

An award-winning and bestselling Pete the Cat hardcover picture book! Count down with Pete in this rocking story that makes counting fun! Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons.

But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons? 

This book is a winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award. Plus the fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song!

Don't miss Pete's other adventures, including Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes,  Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses, Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues, Pete the Cat and the New Guy, Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie, Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes, Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, and Pete the Cat: Crayons Rock!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062110589
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2012
Series:	James Dean's Pete the Cat Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	11,223
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD350L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

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 original creator and illustrator of Pete the Cat. He is a self-taught artist originally from Fort Payne, Alabama. His passion for drawing became apparent at a young age, and as a child, you could find James drawing his favorite characters like Snoopy and Yogi Bear. 

James earned his degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and went on to work for Georgia Power for a number of years. Eventually, he was called to pursue his art full-time and began selling his work at art festivals around the Southeast. 

It was during this time that he began creating paintings and drawing of his cat, Pete. The little blue cat showed up as a character in James’s artwork around 1999 and has been a permanent fixture ever since. 

James Dean’s art has been sold in more than ninety galleries and shops across the United States. He has devoted his paintings to Pete the Cat for fifteen years and turned his natural love for cats into his life’s work. James published his first book, The Misadventures of Pete the Cat, a history of his artwork, in 2006, and he illustrated his first self-published children’s book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, in 2008. There are now almost 100 published Pete the Cat titles with more coming out all the time.

James is humbled every day by the success that this groovy blue cat has brought him. He says positively affecting children’s lives is his number one priority, and he is grateful to have such an amazing audience to work for. 

Kimberly Dean is a children’s author, artist, and yoga enthusiast best known as a NYT bestselling author and co-parent of children’s book character Pete the Cat. Before fulfilling her dream of becoming a full-time author and artist, she worked for the State of Georgia, leaving the Governor’s Press Office in 1998 to pursue her art. 

She began selling her work at art festivals in 1999 and opened a small art gallery in 2003. She dabbles in multiple mediums and enjoys experimenting with new styles and techniques. She says of her job, “I love what I do!  Work is like going to kindergarten everyday!”

 In 2004, she began collaborating with fellow artist James Dean to create children’s books about Pete the Cat. The Misadventures of Pete the Cat, a coffee table book of James’s art, was released in 2006. Her dreams of becoming a published children’s book author became a reality in 2013 with the release of her first children’s book, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses. She has now written many of the Pete the Cat books, as well as started another series starring her own characters Willow and Oliver.

Kimberly lives in Savannah with her dog, Gypsy, and cat, Phoebe. Her children and grandchildren live nearby, and her favorite word is “Lovie,” which is the name her grandchildren lovingly call her.

Editorial Reviews

The favorite shirt of Pete the Cat is now missing a button. Does he panic? Does he cry? Of course not. He just adds another verse to his groovy button songs and invites little readers to join in. A charming interactive button book by a talented team.

— Lisa Dugan

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. (May)

Publishers Weekly

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)

Kirkus Reviews

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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