I Love My White Shoes

An imperturbable blue cat walks along and sings his song regardless of what he steps in.Pete the Cat loves his white Chucks so much that he sings a repetitive ditty: "I love my white shoes, / I love my white shoes, / I love my white shoes." (In order to accompany himself, he removes the two sneakers from his front feet and picks up an electric guitar.) Presumably not looking where he is going, he steps into a "large pile" of strawberries. The bright gouache illustrations depict Pete standing atop a mountain of red fruits-on it, not really in it, but no matter. His shoes turn red; Pete thinks to himself that "everything is cool!" and sings about his red shoes. Then-"Oh no!"-he steps into a heap of blueberries. "What color did it turn his shoes?" asks the narrator. All the children who have learned basic color theory will cry, "Purple!" and feel betrayed when the page turn indicates that Pete's sneakers have in fact turned blue. A walk through some mud turns them brown, and then a stroll through a bucket of water turns them white again. (Now they go "squeak squeak squeak" as he walks.) Pete's ability to shrug off the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune without even opening his eyes all the way is a quality many parents might wish their children shared, but it makes him awfully hard to relate to.Pete may seem like an appealing role model to adults, but any child who has experienced the smirching of a new pair of shoes probably won't buy the cool he's peddling. (Picture book. 3-5) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 1—- slight episode about a navy-blue cat, new white shoes, and maintaining a positive outlook. Pete the Cat strolls down the street singing, "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes." Then he steps in (actually climbs up) a huge hill of strawberries that turn his pristine sneakers red. "Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song. I love my red shoes...." He proceeds to step in a mound of blueberries and then a mud puddle, each incident changing his sneakers to a new hue (the colors never blend). Unsmiling but placid, Pete takes it all in stride. After stepping into a "bucket"—more like a tub—of water, he notices that his sneakers are not only white again, but also wet. Even though they are back to their original color, the next illustration perplexingly shows Pete walking along with each shoe sporting one of the four colors highlighted in the book. Bright, childlike illustrations show the long-limbed feline regularly altering his footwear but continuing not to watch where he's walking. The moral of the story—keep going no matter what happens to you in life—may sound like good advice, but it doesn't instill any sense of power in children; it just tells them to accept their fate. The downloadable song might help spark interest, but there's not much here to get excited about.—"Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 27, 2011
In his previous outing, blue cat Pete proved his ability to roll with the punches when his white sneakers were accidentally stained red. Sporting the red treads for the first day of school (they match his electric guitar), Pete is again unflappable. "Pete has never been to the library before! Does Pete worry? Goodness, no! He finds his favorite book and sings his song." School setting aside, little differentiates this book from its predecessor. There's humor to be found in the deadpan expressions of Pete and his fellow cats as he sits with friends in the lunchroom, plays at recess, and solves math problems on the board. But whether the simple refrain and Pete's blasé attitude actually assuage anxious schoolgoers is another story. Pete's song is available as a download. Ages 3â7.

October 14, 2013
Appropriately enough, Pete’s latest includes some valentines for readers: a large foldout poster, a sheet of stickers, and 12 punch-out cards. In the accompanying story, Pete starts out as a skeptic: “Valentine’s Day is not cool,” he tells his friend Callie. She responds that it’s her favorite holiday, and Pete needs no more convincing than that—as soon as he gets home, he starts making homemade cards. By book’s end, Pete has distributed valentines throughout his community; he forgets about Callie, but she’s understanding: “Hanging out with you... that’s way better than any card.” Just like Pete skateboards his way through town, he slides through these minor Valentine’s Day dramas effortlessly. Ages 4–8.

February 17, 2014
Pete the cat’s yellow, dead-eyed stare is always good for a laugh, and it’s even better when he’s wearing big white bunny ears, a buck-toothed rabbit snout, and a puffy white tail. It’s all in a day’s work for Pete after he agrees to lend the Easter Bunny a hand (“Find the eggs. Paint the eggs. Hide the eggs,” reads the note Pete discovers in his otherwise empty Easter basket). The story itself is quite thin—after painting the eggs, Pete quickly hides them and receives a “#1 Helper” ribbon from the Easter Bunny himself for his efforts (“Helping others can be lots of fun!” reads the tacked-on closing message). Readers are more likely to be drawn in by all the extras tucked into the pages, which include stickers, a foldout poster, and a dozen perforated Easter cards that can be removed and given away. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2010
Pete the (optimistic) cat loves his brand-new white shoes no matter what. Even when he steps in strawberries, blueberries, and mud--turning his shoes red, blue, and brown--nothing rocks this cool cat's world: "No matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song." Color-rich illustrations from a variety of visual perspectives match the groovy tale's vibe.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)