Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes- Beyond the Book Resources
There's cool backstory that connects me with this book.
Back in 2007, my best friend and I opened a toy store. After a few years, we moved to a larger space and started having storytellers and musicians visit. I'm not sure how Eric Litwin hit our radar, but he was local and we were told that he wrote all of his own music and his performances were incredible. He came to visit us in 2008 and was a huge hit. At the end, he told the kids about a new song he'd written about a cat named Pete. That song was "I Love My White Shoes" and it was a word for word match to the text that is now in this book. The kids loved it, we loved it, and afterwards, Eric told us that someone had hooked him up with another local artist, James Dean. At this time, Dean was known for his series of Blue Cat drawings. Well, less than a year later, this book was published and as they say, "the rest is history"
Themes:
Power of a Positive Attitude Adjusting to Change
Teachable Moments:
This book offers multiple opportunities for learning that go far beyond what's printed on the page or seen in the illustrations. Here's a small sample:
Vocabulary that can be grouped: Color Words Action Words
Order of Events /Plot- What did he step in first, next, last...
The Power of Repeated Words and Phrases - "Did Pete Cry? Goodness No!"
Examples Shown with Images are for Reference Only - Not Part of the Download
Extend the Learning with Story-Based Play
Adding an element of play is another way to deepen your child’s understanding of concepts within and beyond a story. According to Hall (1991), young children often develop advanced literacy skills when they engage in play related to a familiar story. Many complex literacy skills develop naturally when the story and play intersect, setting the stage for your child to learn to read and write.
It’s easy. Take a great story, gather toys that align with that story, and get out of the way. Your child will do the rest. The goal is to allow the play to evolve naturally. You’ll be surprised by the amount of learning transferred and reinforced through this type of play.
Here’s Why We Love These Specific Products:
They have direct connections to the book.
They reinforce new vocabulary.
They encourage imaginative play
They make it easy to re-enact parts of the story.
They often take learning beyond the confines of the story.
Few require batteries, screens, or electricity.
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