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

by James Dean Narrated by Teddy Walsh

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

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, TN

Kirkus Reviews

Ultracool Pete the Cat turns his attention to baseball. Pete's team, the Rocks, is playing the Rolls. Pete is every measure of a good sport as he encourages his teammates. He isn't, however, a skilled player. He strikes out and drops a fly ball, and though he reaches first base on a walk and runs as fast as he can, he is thrown out at home plate. "Pete is not sad, He did his best." After all, his team won, and he had fun. It could be a great antidote to Little League pressure to be number one at all costs. But there is something off-putting about the tone, for there appears to be a lack of any real involvement in Pete's cool, calm manner, and the repeated insistence that he is unaffected by his performance feels robotic. Does he love the game or intend to improve? Instead, the baseball game seems just another setting for Pete to demonstrate his cool. Cartoons nicely complement the text, but here too, no change of expression is apparent on Pete's countenance, nor on any of the players'. The early-reader format is new to this series and hasn't the lilt of Dean's earlier works, so this might not be the way to expand the franchise. No home run here. (Early reader. 3-5)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170152377
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/26/2013
Series:	James Dean's Pete the Cat Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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