| Title | : | Pete the Cat Saves Christmas |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062110632 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062110633 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 34 |
| Publication | : | First published September 25, 2012 |
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas Reviews
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Pete the Cat books rock. Didn't know anything about them, until I saw a Pete the Cat class at my local library for my K-5 grade and signed him up. Then I checked out some of the books, to see if he'd like them. Not only did he love them, but my 2 yr old twins do as well. He's laid back, cool, and groovy with beautiful and colorful illustration. All three of my kids love finding the yellow bird that follows him around on every page. (Makes me think of my Richard Scary books I had as a kid where I was always looking for Goldbug) On top of great stories, there are parts of each story that's a song that's repeated. I just make up the tune, but if you'd like to hear the actual song, each book has an audio and video file on the Harper Collins Children's website. Along with fun things to do and games, the additional website makes Pete the Cat very appealing to my 5 yr old. We're both looking forward to the library class, and I've already reserved the rest of the books at our library. Highly recommended!
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5+ stars – Children’s Book
I love Pete the Cat!!!! -
✾ children’s book review ✾
A sweet little story about Pete the cat saving Christmas in his minibus because Santa gets a head cold. Very cute!
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Twitter ☆ -
When Santa catches a cold and can't deliver his Christmas gifts to the children of the world, Pete the Cat steps in and gives it his all in this tongue-in-cheek adaptation of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Loading up his minibus with presents, Pete is pulled through the sky by Santa's reindeer, finishing his deliveries just in time...
The fourth and final Pete the Cat picture-book to be written by original author Eric Litwin, rather than illustrator and creator James Dean and his wife Kimberly, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is the twenty-third title from the best-selling franchise that I have read. Despite that fact, I would not say I was a huge fan of the series, as I read them mostly because they are popular at work. Still, I do find that the earlier books, those written by Litwin (
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes,
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, and
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons), are superior to later efforts. This one reads fairly well, and would make a fun holiday story-time selection, especially for young fans of Pete the Cat. It is to them that I would recommend it. -
I saw Eric Litwin speak at the Michigan Library Association's Spring Institute earlier this year. I'm paraphrasing, but he said something to the effect of joining the "long tradition of Jewish guys writing Christmas songs" with this book.
There are some good things about this title. James Dean's artwork is still bright and fun. Like others, I loved Pete's minibus. The message of Pete being able to do a big thing despite being small is OK, even though I'm not a big "picture books should have a message" person.
I like when Mr. Eric sings the songs, not big on the kids joining him on this one. But that might just be my personal taste.
As someone who is suspicious of popular characters doing Christmas books, I was a little apprehensive about this one. But it's not terrible. Just OK. I am with the crowd that prefers Groovy Buttons and White Shoes to this one. (Rockin' in my School Shoes is my least favorite.) -
My Pete in a Christmas tale? Yes, I happy danced all over the bookstore. :D The cover alone had me smiling ear to ear.
Bright holiday colors light up the pages filled with fun and inspiration. The sight of Pete and his reindeer dashing across the night sky in his groovy minibus will make readers of all ages giggle and cheer.
In the season of giving, Pete’s lesson to all is that the size of your heart is what matters the most!
Hope you let this cool, cool cat bring a little jingle into your reading hearts. -
My six year old granddaughter insists on a five star rating. Pete the Cat books are amongst her favorites and I have to admit, Pete is a groovy cat! This is a nice rhyming Christmas tale that finds Pete helping out a sick Santa by delivery gifts on Christmas Eve.
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I laughed my way through this book. Everyone has a blast, I guess except for Santa who has a cold and calls Pete the Cat to help him out with Xmas Eve. Of course Pete the Cat says yes and he and the reindeers and err, a rather untraditional but hilarious vehicle go on their way to get the job done. I loved the salute to Dr. Seuss when Pete the Cat declares that he'll carry out the job even though he's small. It would definitely be one of my go to books for Christmas story time. Happy, good, sweet and not sappy at all: what a great combo in the often sickeningly sweet holiday titles. Just discovered from another review on this site that Litwin is Jewish. Another Jew contributing to the wonder of Christmas! Awesome (and I'm Jewish, btw, before anyone reads something into my comment)
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Parents need to know that Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is a holiday-themed book in the bestselling Pete the Cat series. Pete is more engaged than usual (though he still stares out at the reader with his big gold eyes and deadpan expression) and even heroic as he steps up when Santa's too sick to deliver kids' presents on Christmas Eve. The book offers positive messages about giving "your all" to help others and that even if you're small, you can be a big help to someone in need.
Educational value
Meant to enterain, not educate. But some of the couplets are reminiscent of those in "A Visit From St. Nicholas," which could send kids back to that classic poem.
Positive messages
Respond to the call when asked for a favor, and be generous at holiday time. As the chorus says, "At Christmas we give, so give it your all." There's also a message kids can appreciate that "small is cool" (as it says on a sign held by one of Santa's helpers thanking Pete). As Pete says, "Although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all."
Positive role models
Pete the Cat doesn't hesitate to help out when asked, and steps in to save Christmas by delivering presents to the kids of the world when Santa Claus cannot.
Violence & scariness
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
From commonsensemedia.org
Horn Book starred (Spring 2013)
When Santa comes down with the flu on Christmas Eve, groovy blue cat Pete saves the day in his vintage red minibus pulled by eight reindeer. A rhyming text based on "The Night Before Christmas" moves the story along briskly. Dean's casual, somewhat naive paintings show a world inhabited by cats (even Santa) except for the reindeer and Pete's bird sidekick.
Kirkus Reviews (September 1, 2012)
He's back! That wildly popular cat steps in to save Christmas in the nick of time when Santa Cat gets sick. Santa calls Pete, who is vacationing in Key West, and the helpful cat hops in his magically powered red van with his friend, a little yellow bird. Together they travel to the North Pole, where they hitch up the reindeer and load up the Christmas toys for delivery. Pete sings a new holiday song about giving: "although I am small, / at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all." (As with the other Pete stories, the song and the story are available for download on the publisher's website.) Pete, the yellow bird and the reindeer get all the toys delivered by Christmas morning, and when they return to the North Pole, they are met with cheers and a banner of thanks from Santa, the elves and the townsfolk. In the bottom corner of the final page, the yellow bird waits with a tiny package for Pete. The vibrant illustrations and the simple story create a satisfying whole, complemented by the song, but kids may need help understanding the expression "give it your all," and they may also wonder why Pete looks perpetually bored. But hey, it's all good. Keep movin' and groovin', Pete. You're one hip cat. (Picture book. 3-8)
Publishers Weekly (September 10, 2012)
When Santa falls ill just before Christmas, who's the first number on his speed dial? Pete the Cat, of course. Standing on his surfboard, staring out with the deadpan expression readers will recognize from his previous books, Pete agrees to make Santa's Christmas Eve deliveries; before long the reindeer are strapped to Pete's red minibus ("Then the minibus flew, just like in a movie./ Pete the Cat cried, 'This is totally groovy!' "). Despite Pete's ongoing anxieties about being too small for the job, there aren't any hiccups along the way, making for a gently off-kilter but fairly straightforward story. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal (October 1, 2012)
PreS-Gr 1-With a rhythmic nod to "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," this book is sure to become a favorite. It's Christmas Eve and Santa is ill, so he asks Pete to deliver the presents. "Road trip!" cries the cat in his characteristically groovy way as he hops in his minibus. Even though he is quite small, the oh-so-cool feline gives it his all and gets the job done. Watercolor, acrylic, and ink illustrations in bright holiday colors are fresh and fun, while a singsong refrain focuses on giving to others. Don't miss Pete in a Santa hat driving his van past the moon pulled by eight reindeer: "Then the minibus flew, just like in a movie. Pete the Cat cried, 'This is totally groovy!'" Indeed it is.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. -
At Christmas 🎄 we give. So give it your all! “ ANC Pete does.
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Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill.
In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill.
Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that?
"Never!" cried Santa.
"Let's call Pete the Cat!"
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is a spin of the traditional Christmas tale “The Night before Christmas,” where Santa is too ill to deliver the gifts on Christmas Eve and must enlist Pete the Cat to help. Pete saddles up the reindeer for the big night and “then the minibus flew, just like in a movie. Pete the Cat cried, 'This is totally groovy!’” When Santa first enlists Pete’s help for this momentous task, Pete is nervous as he knows it will be a tough task, potentially filled with obstacles – will he be able to fill Santa’s boots and ultimately save Christmas?
All of the characters in the book are cats, and the flow of the book mimics the rhythm of “The Night before Christmas.” This is an illustrated children’s book that is based on Eric Litwin’s famous character “Pete the Cat”. Pete the Cat stars in four books – Pete the Cat: I love my white shoes (2010); Rocking in my school shoes (2011); Pete the Cat and his four groovy buttons (2012); and Pete the Cat Saves Christmas (2012). The lyrical narrative and great illustrations are appealing to young children. Pete’s books always teach an important lesson, such as the importance of doing your best, not giving up and helping others which is evident in Pete the Cat Saves Christmas.
The publisher of this book, HarperCollins, provides fun activities and videos to go along with this book on their website. This includes songs that match up with the book, and a fun video of the reading/singing of the story along with animations. There are also other activities to go along with the other “Pete the Cat” books. The website is
http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com...
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is a great book to read with children over the Christmas season as the lyrical rhythm is fun and the illustrations are amusing. Happy Holidays! -
“Pete The Cat Saves Christmas” is a great holiday book. It is about a Santa who is a cat. Santa is sick the night before Christmas. He is very worried that he will have to cancel Christmas, but then he remembers his friend Pete. He asks Pete if he can deliver the presents. Pete knows it will be a tough task, filled with obstacles, but he says yes to help Santa out. Pete gives it his all and successfully saves Christmas.
The book is targeted at younger kids, ones who still believe in Santa Claus. It is a good book to teach younger kids about helping a friend out and about doing things that are tough, but fighting through it to accomplish a goal. Pete has points when he could have given up, but he pushed forward. It is also a good book for Christmas time. It could get kids in the holiday mood. There are many other activities that could relate back to this book. There are different songs that go with the book that a teacher could incorporate into a lesson.
The pictures are very cute. The cats in the book do not have mouths. They always seem straight faced, like they are on a mission and they are not going to stop until they have completed their task. The pages are filled with color and really help tell the story.
I love Christmas, so I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be a fun way to incorporate Christmas into a lesson about accomplishing goals and not giving up. I also think it is a silly book because of its pictures. The pictures seem so serious, but it is such a fun book.
Litwin, Eric, and James Dean. Pete the cat saves Christmas. New York: Harper, 2012. Print. -
I must confess I at first didn't understand the magic of Pete the Cat. I thought that they were interesting books with odd rhyming/rhythm patterns. But when you listen to the free download of the book being read with the song being sung, then they become a classic that you just can't get out of your head.
That being said,
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is like that. I didn't understand how to "read" the book until I could "sing" the book. And now I can't help but love it. I love how Pete the Cat helps and wants to save the day when Santa can't. I think the song has been stuck in my head for days, and I don't mind. Even though it isn't time to sing Christmas songs yet. I just can't help it, I love Pete the Cat.
So, check out this book...and listen to it! Then you will love it too.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com/peteth... -
Twas the day before Christmas, Santa couldn't make it due to his bad cold, so he called Pete the Cat to deliver Christmas to the good boys and girls. Even though Pete the Cat is small, he is going to give it his all. So Pete the Cat delivers all the toys to the good girls and boys by using his totally groovy mini bus with the help of Santa’s reindeers. Pete kept on singing his song, “Give it your all” as he delivers the Present throughout the world. Pete returned back to the North Pole with a warming greeting from Santa. They were so happy that Pete delivers Christmas and they said HIPP HIPP HOORAY!
When a child or the children feel like they can’t do anything, this book will be a great source to direct the children that they can do whatever they can if they put their heart and mind into it. I would read this book to the children and discuss with them our abilities and our weakness so we can work on it together as a team. -
My four-year-old son checked this book out of the library yesterday.
Apparently, my husband read this book to my son last night while I was at choir practice. This morning, my little boy wanted to hear it again, so I read it to him. I'll be ordering him his own copy now.
Eric Litwin does such an amazing job with these Pete the Cat books. My son can only read a few words, but usually by the three or fourth reading of one of Litwin's Pete the Cat books, my son is "reading" them on his own. That kind of writing takes real skill. And, even after reading or hearing the books four time, they are still entertaining to me. That kind of writing takes even more skill.
The artwork in these books is wonderful. A few months ago, I was in a gallery in Savannah and saw the some original paintings of Pete the Cat. Made my day. -
Eric Litwin's Pete the Cat books always include a moral lesson for the children, as does Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, which is written as a parody of The Night Before Christmas. The book is about Christmas in the Santa sense, not the religious meaning, it stresses that we should do what we can to help people by repeating, "at Christmas we give, so give it your all".
My younger students all love Pete the Cat. I'm looking forward to reading this book with them as the Christmas season approaches. They also love listening to Litwin's song download that comes with the book. James Dean's illustrations will continue to impress them, as well. -
Pete the Cat, by far, is my Kindergartners' favorite book character. The charm of his books lasts much longer than our library time together. I love to see students get excited about these books and I cannot keep them on the shelves. This newest addition, however, is not my favorite. I wish the authors created a whole new story for Pete instead of combining it with an already existing Christmas story. Will this disappointment keep me from adoring Pete the Cat? "Goodness, no!" But I think they could have done better here.
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This fourth "Pete the Cat" book brings us another inspiring and uplifting message about positivity. In this wonderful book the song we sing is "give it your all". This is the perfect refrain to match the annual season of giving. Pete the Cat has to take the place of Santa. We know he can do it! As he sings his song (and keeps moving along) readers of all ages are reminded to be sharing, giving people who go the extra mile! (Funny truth: Eric Litwin says he has joined the annals of Jewish authors who have created Christmas offerings. Yippee for all of us!)
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Another hit of Pete the Cat.Bases on the story Twas the Night Before Christmas. Pete teaches us to give it your all no matter what. It is in the spirit of Christmas to give it your best and that is a groovy thing to do. My 7 year old granddaughter loves all the Pete the Cat Books and her stuffed Pete the Cat. They read together and sleep together. Looking forward to the new books coming out in Feb. Books are great for young and old. My granddaughter reads them over and over again. She loves Pete the Cat so much and he is always teaching her something new too.
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What a fun new addition to your holiday book list. The rhythm of the book goes along with the Christmas tune "Feliz Navidad" and is a reimagining of the "Night Before Christmas"
Santa is ill and needs Pete the Cat to fill in for him on his Christmas Eve rounds to make sure all the good little boys and girls receive their Christmas gifts. Pete is up for giving his all because at Christmas we give, so Pete gives it his all.
If you are familiar with the Pete the Cat books be sure to find the little yellow bird that appears throughout the story. -
Pete the cat is back and he comes to the rescue when there is a problem right before Christmas time! Santa becomes ill and he is about to give up when he realizes that he can rely on Pete! I love how this book comes with music to enhance the story and children will love to sing along! Give it your all! It teaches children to never give up on something and around the holidays everyone needs to give it their all. I love the illustrations and the book sends a great message.
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'Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill.
In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill.
Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that?
"Never!" cried Santa.
"Let's call Pete the Cat!"
In this rockin' new spin on the traditional tale The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do.
Kids love anything with Pete and pick up the songs quickly. -
This is great fun to read. Pete's refrain about "giving it your all" will resonate with parents who want kids to remember the true meaning of Christmas! The story has a Twas the Night Before Christmas cadence, but a very original, modernized tale.
To read our full review, go to
the Reading Tub. -
When Santa Claus gets sick, Pete the Cat steps in to save Christmas. I will use this book to open my lesson on the topic of giving. I would help my pre-school students understand the importance of giving and being a blessing to others. I will help them realize that it is not all about what others give to you, but what you can give to them as well.
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This was a very nice Christmas book one that we want to add to our own home collection. The rhyming words and the message of, it doesn't matter how small you are you can still make a difference makes it a wonderful story to read! Pete the Cat helps Santa Claus save Christmas and at times he doesn't know if he can do it, but he keeps telling himself "give it your all"... love this book!
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Pete the Cat is one of those series that my kids love and I don't.
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Good
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I love Pete the Cat, but any time a popular character is made in to a holiday book, especially a holiday like Christmas that a lot of kids don't celebrate, I get sad. Really, really sad. Usually it's not that great of a book and I can only think of all the kids who won't enjoy it or get or be allowed to read it even thought Pete is their favorite cat in the whole wide world. Happily, this is not the sell-out I thought it would be. It's very well done and as a secular Christmas celebrator I enjoyed it. Still sad I can't share it with all the kids I'd like, but it's sure to be a huge hit with Christmas celebrators everywhere! Keep being groovy, Pete.
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Ah, another take off on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore. It always helps to be familiar with the original, before reading a spin off. However, young children will accept this story with no prior knowledge of the poem. Afterall Santa is ill, presents need to be delivered and certainly Pete the Cat can do it. I did like the subsitution of a minibus for Santa's sleigh. This Pete the Cat title doesn't contain the originality of the previous two, afterall it is constrained to a prior work. I prefer the first two titles in the series.
