Pete the Cat: Snow Daze: A Winter and Holiday Book for Kids

Pete the Cat: I Can Read!

by James Dean, Kimberly Dean

New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean brings readers along for a fun, surprising, snowy adventure with Pete the Cat!

In Pete the Cat: Snow Daze, school is canceled, and Pete cannot wait to play in the snow with all his friends. Imagine a day filled with snowball fights, hot chocolate, snowcats, and more. But when the next day and the day after that are all snow days, Pete comes to a sudden realization—it is possible to have too many snow days.

Pete the Cat: Snow Daze is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Animals, Cats, School, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

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. James is humbled every day by the success that this groovy blue cat has brought him. He says positively affecting children’s lives is his number one priority, and he is grateful to have such an amazing audience to work for.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's nap time. Pete was excited when there's a snow day because there's no school and he got to play with his friends in the snow. But many days after there were snow days too and he got tired with snow days that he actually miss school.

Book 8 out of 1000 books before Kindergarten.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insane plot twists, kept me laughing. Ending could use some work though

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book about appreciating going to school - though reading it in the middle of the summer and during COVID-19 (when schools have been/will be/are closed) wasn't the wisest idea.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to a pre school class. They loved this book, especially after a snow day.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good because it is pro-school! One star off because it shows a child driving.

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Per my first graders: It was awesome because it was snowing and it does not snow in Las Vegas. It was perfect because it was beautiful, like the houses and the bed. It was good because it was snowing and Pete made a snowcat. It was cool because Pete the cat drove in the snow.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter is currently in a Pete the Cat frenzy since starting Kindergarten, so of course she wanted this book as one of her Christmas picks from the school book club. As with other books in the series, it's a simple book with a cute story appropriate for kids. In this case, Pete is having fun playing with his friends in the snow... until it isn't so fun anymore and he's wishing he could go back to school already. Good timing with this as we got the order just before school let out for Winter Break. Granted, there was no snow preventing school from starting back up again, but she does have to wait for the end of break, just like Pete had to wait for the storm to clear before he could get back on the bus again.

[Sophia Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is appropriate for kindergarten only, maybe the 1st grade is a student is really struggling. But this book is made up simple sentences and thoughts that are easy for young children to connect with. Children love snow and they can connect with Pete about this. It demonstrates verbs in a simple context that all revolve around snow and snow activity.
I could use this maybe in the classroom as a take-home book for students to practice reading at home. It doesn't seem like a great book to read aloud as it's not super fun or exciting, but it could be great practice at home. It could be great for students to practice and gain confidence while reading. I have a teacher friend that has a whole Pete the Cat themed classroom, so maybe this could be a great classroom read in that sense.

[Luvy Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Pete the cat story is for a beginning reader to read on their own. This story is about Pete waking up to snow. He is so excited to play in the snow with his friends. Since it is snowing no school. A snow day for Pete and his friends. The pictures are great because they help the young reader to figure out the words happening in the story. The words in the book are simple and easy to figure out.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete the Cat is excited about one snow day, and a second snow day, but when the snow just keeps on coming Pete starts to miss school.

There's a humorous and unexpected twist in here when Pete wakes up to one snow day too many. Not realistic at all, but definitely entertaining. There are a couple snow day books out there, but this may be the funniest.

[Holly Letson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's snowing here today, I decided to read this book. It was a fun story with good audio. I just find the idea of a child driving a snow plow to plow all the roads of the city quite a bit far-fetched. Plus, I believe most children would love having several snow days in a row, and would not be wanting to go back to school.

2.5*

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pete the Cat wakes up to go to school, and share his show and tell, but discovers there is no school due to it being a snow day. Pete and his brother Bob, and friends spend their day frolicking in the snow, but after three straight snow days, Pete the Cat misses school, and takes matters into his own hands.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- Cute and happy easy reader in which Pete learns that sometimes, snow days aren't all they're cracked up to be!

This book marks an improvement over some of the Pete books that just seem to be boring cash-ins on a popular character. There's a real story with action and humor and a lesson learned. A nice choice for beginning independent readers.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow Days for Pete the Cat and his siblings and friends but after a few days they are more than ready to go back to school.

I did not realize that Pete the Cat was available as an I Can Read book. I enjoyed the story. It is perfect for my young nephew. I look forward to more in the I Can Read series.

[Cynthia K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Pete, I feel your pain when school keeps getting canceled. I admire the initiative you showed in plowing the streets so your school could reopen. I sure wish I could have found a way to raise the temperatures so my son could have gone to school.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 3 out of 5]

My nieces love Pete the cat. I'm not crazy about him. He enjoys the snow day until it gets boring. Then he steals a snow plow, plows the streets, and lets everyone return to school where he can brag about what he did.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete' snow day

I read this story to my son. I like how interactive it is. He really got in to it and started to ask questions,

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a chance to read this engaging book to some special education students at my high school during World Read Aloud Day. Three snow days in a row! Imagine! Very fun.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete was excited about his first snow day. The second was also great. The third, not to much. As the snow kept piling up, Pete just wanted to go back to school.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miranda picked this out. I read it to her so she could go to bed.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this easy reader Pete the Cat book, Pete celebrates a show day by playing outside. But after a few snow days in a row, he is ready to go to school.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snow days are fun at first...but eventually you miss being at school!

[Sebastian HM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! He was ready for school. He had breakfast and then his Mom said they were not going to school. Why? Because it was snowing!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great winter tale for kids! How much snow is TOO much?

[Amy Elizabeth Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with kindergarten! The love Pete the Cat, and I loved how much this book showed "never too much of a good thing" in the form of school being cancelled for snow days.

I love that you honestly do realize how much you miss your friends (in my case, students) when you're forced out of school. We had plenty of rain days (our town flooded) during hurricane season, and after a while, you just want to see everyone you're supposed to have been seeing.

This was a cute book, and I'd recommend to 1st grade most of all.
-

I've only been experiencing snow the past couple of years, and it's great that the city clears it out pretty quickly, but I know it would be a completely different experience if you lived in country snow: shoveling the drive, treating your own sidewalks, dealing with the weight of the snow on your house, or fun stuff like building an igloo, sledding (like in the book!), and building a huge snow man.

I'll say, I love the seasons up here, but I feel like it's always so cold: fall, winter, spring! I'm used to the opposite, so I'm really missing summer heat.

[Little Batties · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete the Cat: Snow Daze would be a child's dream come true: well, for those who hope and pray for snow days that is.

Pete the Cat wakes up one morning to find out it is a snow day. He keeps waking up the next morning, expecting there to be school, and it's another snow day. It follows what Pete and his friends do all of these snow days. However, what I find the most touching is how they start to miss school. They way to go back to learning, and it is that message that makes me like this story the most.

This will of be a great story for a snowy day, whether at home during a snow day or a day after a snow day. It sends a sweet message and reminder that not everyone loves snow days, while still letting those that enjoy them have one. It is a story I can see littles really enjoying, either as a read aloud or in their own.

[J.D. Holman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pete the Cat is not a franchise I enjoy, but I read the books to classes because kids like the stuff. This installment, though, had every single class in an uproar when Pete takes matters into his own hands.

Every lower elementary class (1-3 grades; ages 6-8 or 9).
Every primary class (preschool-Kindergarten; ages 3-5 or 6).

They all took great issue with what Pete does.

I've never had a book so unanimously unite my students, in such a negative fashion. Dude.

Made for some good discussions, though.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading this Pete the Cat book to my little one. Pete the Cat wakes up to get ready for school on the day of Show-And-Tell only to learn that there is no school...it is a Snow Day. At first Pete the Cat enjoys his snow day but on the third day of no school because of the Snow, Pete begins to miss school. This was a cute "Pete the Cat" book!

[Sinthia Burgos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this to my son during the snow days we get. Pete shows how much fun being off of school when it snows is fun. He shows the excitement waking up and realizing he doesn't have to go to school. The more snow days Pete had the more he wished he was back in school. I guess two snow days is enough for this cat.

[Elizabeth Houseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, this Pete the Cat book is both cute and has a good lesson behind it. Pete the Cat loves snow days, but ... All in all, school is more fun. I love that this doesn't deny the fun of a day or two off, but shows that going to school is a good thing! I would recommend this book to young readers/parents of young readers, especially those who really do have snow days!