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Pete the Cat: I Can Read!

Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School

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Pete the Cat is back in New York Times bestselling author James Dean's beginning reader Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School. In this funny My First I Can Read Book, Pete just can't decide which outfit to wear to school! He has so many options to choose from. Fans of Pete the Cat will enjoy Pete's creativity in choosing the coolest outfit.

Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School is a My First I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child.

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2014

48 people are currently reading
1082 people want to read

About the author

Kimberly Dean

80 books96 followers

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5 stars
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419 (20%)
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76 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Profile Image for Laura.
1,520 reviews253 followers
April 9, 2014

Another fun visit with my favorite blue feline.

Pete the Cat can’t decide what to wear to school. Everyone chimes in— even Pete’s Mom and brother-- with his or her favorites. Wear this and that, Pete. Resulting in a very un-Pete like outfit. Haha….Colorful and funny, but just not Pete.

A tale that teaches readers to always remember to “Just be you.”

I love that Pete evolved into Easy-Reader books. Sometimes using a character that children know and recognize from picture books will help them make the jump to reading on their own. That said though, I have to admit that some of Pete’s magic is gone. Whether it’s the form or lack of Eric Litwin’s touch —Pete’s tone does feel different. Still fun, but not as magical as the first couple of books.

Definitely check out Pete The Cat: I Love My White Shoes.


Profile Image for Mya.
1,502 reviews60 followers
December 19, 2018
This is one of my favorite Pete the Cat books thus far.
14 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2020
SPOILER ALERT

Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School deals with an issue that many, if not all, children and adults face: the pressure to fit in and to be deemed as cool. Pete the Cat asks his friends and some of his acquaintances what he should wear to school on the first day. Needless to say, Pete the Cat receives a plethora of answers that only leaves him feeling confused and conflicted. Pete has the fashion eye and originality to realize that wearing too many patterns or layers is not who he is. He is not what everyone else tells him to be, but rather an individual with a unique sense of style and class. This book made me reflect on my own life and ask, "where am I letting others make decisions for me about my own self-worth?" The answers were as apparent as they were life-changing. This book really captures what it means to be human and a little insecure, but gives great, practical steps to taking your life and your self confidence back. An illustrated classic that deserves to be on everyone's "Must Read List for 2020". Don't miss out on this opportunity to take control of your life.
Profile Image for Bethany Clark.
526 reviews
January 6, 2015
This mis-matched cat is too awesome! My 5 year old and I love his smooth style!
Profile Image for Kara Clark.
156 reviews10 followers
March 1, 2016
Ronin's new favorite book! He loves Pete the Cat
14 reviews
May 1, 2018
I like this book due to the “silly” cat, which wants to be cool for school, so he keeps seeking the other people’s idea about how to be dressed cool. He is trying to put everything on him while everyone is telling him to wear, which belongs to their favorites. Finally, he found himself looks silly and then he tries to put on his favorite clothing and feels that is comfortable to be himself. From the middle of the book to the end, there are several dialogs and repeat sentences, which help children easily recall, memorize, and react. In addition, the book also uses many adjectives to introduce the pattern of clothes, which is very important for young children to learn items specifically.
I think children will laugh at the silly cat and engage in Q&A mode with teacher such as repeat “It’s my favorite” and “So Pete does” during the reading. Interact with teacher and peers and share what is their favorite clothing. While reading it aloud, I would emphasize the adjectives and repeat sentences and “His favorite….” While Pete puts on everything that is his favorites finally.
Profile Image for Angie.
2,849 reviews15 followers
August 30, 2017
Synopsis: "Pete the Cat can't decide what outfit he should wear to make him look cool for school. He has so many colorful choices in his closet to choose from, how will he decide on one?

In this hilarious I Can Read tale, Pete learns it's not what you wear, but how you wear it that makes you cool."


My Review: I figured this would be a great book to kick off the school year for Munchkin. This was a fun book for beginning readers with a lot of simple words and sentences and a lot of sight words and color words. It also has a great message about being you and not worrying what other people like.
Profile Image for Hanane Saissi.
4 reviews
February 21, 2019
The book is about Pete the main character who wants to look cool at school, so he started asking his entourage about what to wear to look cool. At the end, Pete wears his favorite clothes. The moral of this story is very important since it is about being yourself, “if you want to be cool, just be you!”.
This is a silly and funny book which makes it very entertaining for young children. it is an appropriate book to share with emergent readers because it has a lot of repetition and many sight words and short sentences.
101 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2018
This book is a fun an silly book young kids can enjoy it talks about Pete the cat who wants to look cool for school so he asks everyone what he should wear. Well he ends up putting on all the clothes everyone told him to wear and he just feels silly an hot so he picked out his own outfit an it states in the end if you want to be cool just be you.
Profile Image for Jaelynn Horton.
404 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2017
I Can Read! I liked that this book was repetitive enough that the kiddo's reading will be able to read it, but that it introduces new words each page to make it actually interesting. That's a hard thing to do for an easy reader! It also has a cute moral at the end of being yourself.
Profile Image for Leigh Ann.
512 reviews8 followers
April 5, 2018
This book is great for encouraging children to be self-confident. Pete tried to do what other people wanted to make himself cool, but in the end he figures out that what really matters is how he feels about himself. The pictures throughout the story are cute and colorful.
Profile Image for Seth.
Author 3 books11 followers
July 19, 2018
A wonderful character and fun story that shares the importance of being true to yourself. Being yourself is how you draw people to you- not by trying to be who you think they want you to be. Thanks, Pete!
445 reviews7 followers
March 21, 2017
Too cool for school was a quick read. Words that hope could understand and relate to. She could follow along with the plot.
13 reviews
November 14, 2017
Cute book about a cat learning about setting limits, and the importance of being yourself.
Profile Image for Joan.
2,898 reviews54 followers
December 13, 2021
Pete the Cat wants to look cool, so he asks each of his friends what he should wear. Each one tells him a different thing to wear and after Pete has put on all of those pieces of clothing, he is hot!

And he does not look cool. He looks silly wearing so many different shirts.

What will Pete do? Can he look cool for school?

=========

Young readers will appreciate the lesson Pete learns here: being yourself is the way to be cool.

This I Can Read book uses basic language, word repetition, and illustrations to help young emergent readers find success in reading. As with all My First books in this series, this is a book designed for shared reading with the young reader and an adult.

Delightful illustrations, a well-known and beloved character young readers will instantly recognize, and a clever story all work together to make this a perfect early reader selection.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of Pete the Cat.
Profile Image for fawnn ꫂ᭪.
18 reviews3 followers
December 21, 2025
I don't care if I'm almost 18 years of age, Pete the Cat will never get old.
Profile Image for Cynda.
1,435 reviews180 followers
March 22, 2020
Recently I read nine (yep 9) Pete themCat books. These books are perfect for grands and great-grands to read with young children. The underlying value system seems to be of the 1960s-70s.

Pete does know what to wear to the first day of school. He takes suggestions. They do nor work for him. Only when he listens to himself do things work out. This book may encourage the readers to talk about listening to that tiny quiet voice inside that tells us our truth.
Profile Image for Vicki.
4,954 reviews32 followers
May 9, 2014
Pete's asking everyone what to wear? If he's asking his teacher, where is he getting his clothes from? Is his teacher at his house? Does Pete bring his clothes to school? The title is a bit off putting, I don't want any child to think they are too cool for school. Yikes! The saving grace for the book are the illustrations and the repetitive phrases. I think the publishers must be riding the coat tails of this character which is very sad. If you are going to publish such a book, make it a great one!!
Profile Image for Melanie Hetrick.
4,628 reviews51 followers
March 7, 2014
Another pedantic book from the Pete the Cat people. I've said before that once Eric Litwin relinquished control, the quality of the books have plummeted.

It's the first day of school and Pete isn't sure what to wear. Different people tell him what is their favorite and he puts the corresponding item of clothing on. By the end, he's got all of his clothes on and is quite hot. He takes it all off and puts on his favorite clothes.
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,330 reviews183 followers
February 15, 2021
Pete wants to look cool so he asks others what he should wear, and takes ALL of their advice. Is this the secret to looking cool or not?

A humorous look at people pleasing and the disaster that can result from being too focused on pleasing others, and it is presented in a way that is accessible to kids. Recommended to little people pleasers, and beginning readers looking for a funny read.
Profile Image for Alice.
4,305 reviews37 followers
March 26, 2014
3.5 stars Normally, I don't like these early reader Pete the Cat (they aren't as good as the Originals), but this one was pretty cute! It is all about being your self.! And I really enjoyed saying in a weird southern drawl "It's my favorite!!"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews

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