Dean, Kimberly. Pete the Kitty’s Outdoor Art Project. James Dean, Illus. Addl. Creator James Dean. Pete the Cat: My First I Can Read. HarperCollins, 03/2023. 32pp. Reader. Trade $16.99. 978-0-0629-7432-7. Paper $4.99. 978-0-0629-7431-0. GRADES Preschool–2. ADDITIONAL.
In this brightly illustrated early reader, Pete the Kitty learns to make an art collage out of found objects. This is a cute story, but some of the language pulled from the 1970s may be unfamiliar to young readers—such as “nifty,” “cool,” “rad,” and “groovy.” At first Pete is not sure that “grass can make good art,” but with some help from his friends and teacher, he learns how fun nature art can be.
Rachael Reiley—Hillcrest Elementary K–8 / Oakland Unified School District