Pete the Cat: Crayons Rock!: A Colorful Pete the Cat Story about Drawing

Pete the Cat: Crayons Rock!: A Colorful Pete the Cat Story about Drawing

From rockin' red to cool cat blue, with a box of crayons there's nothing Pete can't do! Pete uses his groovy crayons to draw lots of things, and for the first time ever, he’s drawing his pals. But when Pete shows his artwork to his friends, they don’t react the way he expected them to. Will Pete put his favorite crayons down or find a way to turn it all around? Not to worry! Pete learns there are no mistakes when it comes to art—art comes from the heart! Get artsy with everyone’s favorite blue cat in this groovy picture book that adds a creative touch to the importance of great friends and never giving up. Fans of Pete the Cat will love watching him take his positive outlook and transform something ordinary into an awesome masterpiece!  From the authors of the bestselling Pete the Cat series, James and Kimberly Dean, this is a colorful story about crayons that ROCK! Young artists will appreciate the humor and Pete's positive spirit. 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 and His Four Groovy Buttons, 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, and Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party. PreS-Gr 2-Pete uses his groovy crayons to draw a variety of objects, eventually deciding to make portraits of his friends. When Pete proudly presents his drawings to Grumpy Toad and Gus, they react with negative criticism. With his trademark optimism, Pete declares "Hey, no sweat. That's alright!" and moves on to the next friend until he reaches Callie. When Callie also criticizes his work, Pete admits defeat and frowns. With a quick cut to art class, we see that Pete is now so discouraged and "afraid of making a mistake" that he won't even pick up his crayons. His previously critical friends cheer him up by saying his art is cool and unique, and encourage him to draw again. When he tries again, his friends celebrate his "rockin' masterpiece" showing them all having fun and all agree that "the best art comes from the heart." The distinctive illustrations of Pete will be satisfying to fans, even as they are sometimes disconnected from the meaning of the text. For example, when Pete "started to frown" and "put his crayons down" the crayons are not pictured anywhere in the scene. The abrupt shift to art class may take some readers by surprise who didn't notice the classic schoolhouse in the background. The moral of the story is undermined slightly by the fact that Pete's initial rejected portraits were clearly also "from the heart." VERDICT With dynamic illustrations of the rockin' crayons, Pete fans are likely to enjoy this well-intentioned story about making art your own way. A solid purchase where Pete is cool.-Amanda Foulk, Sacramento P.L.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. A solid purchase where Pete is cool. - School Library Journal 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.