Pete the Cat: Play Ball! (My First I Can Read)

Product Description New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean takes readers along for a fun, groovy adventure with Pete the Cat! Pete the Cat is ready to play baseball! Pete’s team, the Rocks, is playing the Rolls. But when the game doesn’t go Pete’s way, what will Pete do? Pete the Cat: Play Ball! is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child. From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 2- In Big Lunch, Pete decides to make a sandwich. Of course, the more he adds, the bigger it becomes. This is a good thing because he is really, really hungry. He forgets to remove the wrappers and adds cans, jars, and boxes to the ever-teetering tower of items. As he piles on the food, children's giggles will grow right along with the expanding "sandwich." Once it becomes too big for the small cat to consume, he must think of a clever solution to his dilemma, which he does with a little help from his friends. In Play Ball!, Pete is baseball ready and his team, the Rocks, are facing the Rolls in a big game. The players warm up and, when the game is over, both sides greet one another with high fives. Even though Pete does not play his best game, he has a good attitude about making mistakes and not being sad about errors he made. This is a great title to spark a discussion about sportsmanship. In both books, simple cartoon art in bold colors and large text make the books a treat for beginning readers.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TNα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From the Back Cover Pete the Cat is ready to play baseball! Pete's team, the Rocks, is playing the Rolls. But when the game doesn't go Pete's way, what will Pete do? About the Author 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 a