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‘Pete the Cat Saves Christmas’ Book Review

” ‘Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill. In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill,” begins Pete the Cat Saves Christmas written and illustrated by James Dean. “Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that? ‘Never!’ cried Santa. ‘Let’s call Pete the cat!’ ”

I love new variations on the classic holiday poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, so, as soon as I saw that Pete the Cat Saves Christmas offered a new twist on the tale, I immediately checked the book out from my library to read to my daughter. Staring Pete the Cat of the Pete the Cat book series, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas follows Pete as he helps a sick cat Santa deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

As a linguistic who understands the importance of rhyme to language development, I love the rhyming verse of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas. Although recommended for readers between the ages of 4 and 8, my toddler daughter also enjoyed the story. Hearing the rhymed words read aloud helped keep her interested in the book.

The illustrations are another defining characteristic of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas that helped keep my toddler interested in the book. She loved pointing out the cats on each page. I also really like the illustration style throughout the pages, which is bright and fun. The illustrations really help bring the story to life.

Cover of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas Inside Pages of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

Final Verdict: If you are looking for an updated version of the classic holiday poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas to read with your child this holiday season, I highly recommend Pete the Cat Saves Christmas written and illustrated by James Dean. Your young reader will enjoy finding out whether Pete the Cat can deliver all the gifts to all the good girls and boys. The fun and brightly colored illustrations throughout the book really bring the holiday story to life. My daughter and I give Pete the Cat Saves Christmas four enthusiastic thumbs up!

Image Credits

Cover of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas © 2014 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas © 2014 Heather Johnson

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