Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons is a children’s book written by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean. It is part of the popular Pete the Cat series that features a cool and laid-back blue cat who loves to sing songs about his life.
In this book, Pete wears his favourite yellow shirt with four groovy buttons, but he loses them one by one as they pop off. Does he get upset? No way! He just keeps on singing his song: “My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons…”. This book is a fun and engaging way to teach young readers about counting, subtraction, resilience and optimism. It also has a surprise ending that reveals what Pete really cares about most.
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Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons: A Jazzy Sing-Along Adventure!Table of Contents [CLICK HERE TO OPEN]
An award-winning and bestselling Pete the Cat hardcover picture book! Count down with Pete in this rocking story that makes counting fun! Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons.
But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons?
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.
Pete the Cat loves the four buttons on his shirt and sings a song about them. The song goes like this: “My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons. My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons.”
As he walks along, his buttons pop off and roll away! Each time he loses a button, he counts how many he has left and sings a new verse of his song with the updated number.
He doesn’t get upset or cry over his lost buttons. He just keeps on singing and walking. The book teaches children about numbers, subtraction and counting down from four to zero. It also shows them how to have a positive attitude and not let small things bother them.
At the end of the book, Pete realizes that he has no more buttons left on his shirt. But instead of being sad, he discovers that he still has one button left: his belly button! He laughs and sings a new song: “My button, my button, my one groovy button. My button, my button, my one groovy button.” He decides that life is good no matter what happens because he always has his belly button.
This book is an excellent tool for teaching children not only counting, but how to take things in stride. We love the mix of important messages and how fun the book was! My nephew loved singing the song. We’ve found that when something small happens that my nephew starts to get upset at, we sing the song and he reminds himself that he still has his belly button. A wonderful introduction to coping mechanisms in a simple, easy & constructive way.
WARNING!
The Groovy Button song is highly addictive! I have been singing it to myself for days with no end in sight!!
Pete the Cat Read Aloud
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons teach?
Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons teaches children about numbers, subtraction and counting down from four to zero. It also shows them how to have a positive attitude and not let small things bother them.
What grade level is Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons?
Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons is ideal for 3-6 year olds, but believe me, adults will have plenty of fun reading it too!
How many groovy buttons did Pete the Cat have?
My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons. My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons.”
It doesn’t matter – all that matters is that Pete the Cat will always have his belly button!
What is Pete the Cat known for?
Pete the Cat is friendly, kind, laid-back, fun-loving, sensible, intelligent, loyal. He doesn’t have a specific catchphrase, but his little song in this book sure is an ear worm!
