If you have kids you probably know who I'm talking about when I say Pete the Cat. He's this cool Cat who comes up with the most encouraging ways to look at life. Here are a few life lessons that I love from some of my favorite Pete the Cat books, and why I love their educational value.
Pete the Cat and his 4 Groovy buttons
"My Buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons."
A) He counts down from 4-1.
B) He's a really cool Cat that wears cool shirts.
Side note, at the end of the book He has no buttons left and he just walks around like a stud cat and hangs out at the beach with his shirt open. Best look ever! LOL
C) Does Pete worry? Goodness no!
GOODNESS NO! I love it! Then when kids start saying it when you're reading it out loud, it's so cute and funny.
D) He has crazy things happen to his groovy buttons and he doesn't even worry, why? Because he's a cool cat that just doesn't care. He just keeps walking along and singing his song.
Pete the Cat, I love my White shoes
"I love my White shoes, I love my white shoes, I my white shooooooooes"
A) I love my shoes too
B) Pete doesn't care when his shoes get all muddy, or they turn blue from blueberries which is really purple, or even that he has to walk around in wet shoes. He's a cool Cat and he just takes what life throws at him.
C) It teaches colors. (Kinda, I have a problem with the blueberries turning them blue, but it's a minor detail. Life goes on.)
D) Pete is happy with shoes, and He's a cat that likes to wear shoes.
My personal favorite: Pete the Cat, and his Magic Sunglasses
"The birds are singing and the sky is bright, the sun is shining I'm feeling all right!"
A) I absolutely love love, love, love, LOVE that this book helps us express emotions. Not just emotions but it's all the negative ones that we try to keep hidden way down deep inside. Kids don't know how to get those emotions out and it's so hard to teach what frustration or angry, or mad feel like.
Lets dig deeper:
Pete runs into Squirrel who is so mad because he is just having a bad day, he only found one acorn.
Pete runs into alligator who is so sad because nobody wants to play with him
Turtle is frustrated because he's laying on his back with nobody to flip him over.
I used squirrel as an example when my kids can't find what they are looking for, or they have to do things like go to the potty or clean up their toys when they don't want to. I use alligator as an example when friends are sad because nobody wants to play with them and I use turtle as an example the most. Why? Because it's frustrating to be 2 and 3 in my preschool class. It's frustrating to learn how it feels when friends have to go pee and it's frustrating when you're embarrassed that you peed your pants when you know you aren't supposed to. It's frustrating when your trying to learn to cut with scissors that aren't really made to help you learn to cut..
But in this book, Pete takes off his magic sunglasses (and while the book doesn't say this, I think it's implied) Pete helps his friends while they take their turn with the magic sunglasses.
B) It talks about things being broken.
At the end of the book the sunglasses are broken. Pete is laying on the ground so sad because he doesn't have them anymore, when wise old Owl says "Pete, you don't need magic sunglasses." You just need to look for the good in everything. So Pete looks around and realizes that hey, the sun is shining and the birds are singing and I'm okay. Really I am. Something is broken, and it might not be fixed or replaced, but I am really okay. If I'm not, I'll just lay in the grass and talk to a friend, because everything will eventually and most certainly be okay.
C) Pete is kind.
D) It's fun to sing along to. It's by far my favorite Pete the Cat diddy.
Now, I know that its not really that deep but there is so much truth in a kids book,that's probably why I enjoy my job so very much. Being a preschool teacher is the best job I've ever had. Below are links to the books that I've mentioned on Amazon, Feel free to share them with someone you love.
I Love My White Shoes
Pete The Cat and My Four Groovy Buttons
Pete The Cat and His Magic Sunglasses
