Peterrific: An Imaginative Story About a Boy Building Block Towers to the Moon for Kids (Ages 4-8)

by Victoria Kann

The #1 New York Times bestselling author-artist of the Pinkalicious series, Victoria Kann, is back with an imagination-sparking new book starring Pinkalicious’s brother, Peter.

In Peterrific, readers can follow Peter's own adventures as he builds a tower of blocks all the way to the moon.

Peter loves to build with blocks. One day, he decides to build a tower that will reach the moon, and he wants to do it all by himself. Will the moon be made of cheese? Can he catch a shooting star? As Peter climbs higher and higher into space, he discovers he doesn’t have a way down! He’ll have to figure out what to do next—all by himself.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Space, Construction, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

Victoria Kann is the award-winning illustrator and author of the picture book series featuring the whimsical and effervescent character Pinkalicious. Victoria coauthored and illustrated the first two books, Pinkalicious and Purplicious. In addition, she cowrote Pinkalicious: The Musical and wrote and illustrated the #1 New York Times bestsellers Goldilicious and Silverlicious. Currently she is working on several more books about the adventures and antics of Pinkalicious. You can visit her online at www.thinkpinkalicious.com.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pinkalicious' little brother Peter gets his turn in the spotlight in this latest picture-book from author/illustrator Victoria Kann. Determined to build a high tower with his blocks, a tower that will reach the stars, Peter gets higher and higher. But what will happen when he is so high that he can no longer interact with his family? Seeing the moon up-close may be appealing, but only when he can share the news with Pinkalicious...

As someone who doesn't particularly like the Pinkalicious series - I find the stories poorly written, the artwork flat and unappealing, and the main character obnoxious - but who read them all as part of a project, I went into Peterrific with low expectations. I did find it moderately more tolerable than the other books in the series, probably because it featured a different protagonist, but it still felt mostly mediocre, and wholly uninspiring. I continue to feel puzzled by the success of these books. Still, to each their own. If you have young children who enjoy these stories, perhaps they might want to give this one a try as well.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lackluster. Not much story. A bit irritated at the whole Pinkalicious=girly stuff, and obviously building=boy stuff so has to be about her brother.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

My fellow librarians put this on hold for me since my name is Peter but I have to say I didn't really like it. Patrons are always asking for Pinkalicious books but I don't see the appeal of them.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book that made me laugh out of loud since he wanted to build the biggest tower and reach for the stars and moon using blocks, some rope, tape, and glue. I don't fully recall Pinkalicious, but I'm pretty sure the first one was about cupcakes and everything turning pink, whereas this book about Pinkalicious' brother is about building and creating. Just an observation ;)

[Kelly]

There's nothing wrong with this book. I think kids will like it a lot. It's just not high quality, but I don't think that's what Kann is going for. And finally someone admits that stars are farther away than the moon. You can't shoot for the moon and land amongst the stars. Shoot for the stars, you might hit the moon.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter builds a large tower out of blocks, which reaches all the way to the moon. He realizes he is lonely, and struggles to find a way to come back down. The artwork was neat, and the story was decent enough. (Certainly better than Emeraldlicious). I like how Peter has a range of emotions.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for fans of Pinkalicious.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, a bit contrived. Pinkalicious fans will likely still gravitate to it, but it's a little lack luster even with the shooting stars.

[Krysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised this is receiving rather low ratings. I've never understood the appeal of the Pinkalicious books and fully expected this to be nothing more than an attempt to appeal to another marketing demographic. But the story is solid and actually kind of fun. I'm not quite sure what the sequels will be called, though. Petertastic? Petabulous? Where do we go from here?

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Peterrific' by Victoria Kann is all about the joys of imagination and lessons learned as a result. When Peter starts building a tower out of his toy blocks, he realizes that he wants to make it bigger and better than ever before. So he takes it upon himself to draw the tower and set his sights on his tower-building aspirations. His sister, Pinkalicious, helps bring him more and more blocks as he begins work. They work together so Peter can make his dream into a reality. Soon enough, his tower has grown so tall that he can no longer hear his family or see his house so clearly. He has reached the highest of heights, and getting back down seems almost impossible. Despite the neatness of having met his goal, he comes to the realization that he is alone. Even though Pinkalicious helped him get to where he is, he no longer has her by his side.

Kann has done a very nice job showcasing the power of having a dream and seeing to it that it is achieved. She has instilled the power of friendship throughout the story, especially as Pinkalicious helps her brother and Peter tries to figure out what Pinkalicious would do if she were in his situation. She embeds the idea that kids want to be independent and free, but sometimes need their parents and siblings to help ground them. In addition to all of these lessons, she also ends the story with an even more positive note - that despite any past successes, there is still room for improvement, and Peter is destined to work toward yet another goal, with Pinkalicious at his side this time around.

Friendship, effort, and determination are but three of the traits that Peter shares with readers in 'Peterrific' - a fantastical tale that will allow readers, young and old alike, to ponder the meaning of working toward a set goal, with the beauty of possibility always in mind.

Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Hannah Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts out with Peter wanting to build a tower all by himself to reach all the way to the stars. Peter keeps running out of blocks so he asks his sister to go get more. Peter continues building his tower adding some furniture and other household items in to make it taller. Peter's tower gets to the point where it's so tall he has to build blanket basket so Pinkalicious can get blocks to him. Peter's mom and dad come out and see that he is standing on a super high tower and tell him to get down, but Peter isn't finished. He built it so high to where he was alone and could see everything. He tries to reach the stars, but fails because he forgets his net. Then he discovers the moon isn't made out of cheese like he thought and shouts to Pinkalicious, but she can't hear. Peter then becomes sad because he is cold, hungry, and all alone. So, he turns his blankets and rope into a parachute and floats back down to his family. Finally, he and his sister agree that they are going to build an even better tower (where they can get down) and go together next time.
I liked the book. Peter was being super creative and carrying out his dream. He was exploring his curiosity which I think is the way to creativity. I think that this book could be used in a classroom for teaching about going for your dreams and letting your imagination run wide. I think that this book is an excellent example of creativity and problem-soliving. Kids need the skills shown in the book in order to change the world as we know it.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves the Pinkalicious series, but when I heard Peterrific was coming out awhile ago, she wasn't interested because it's about a boy - she's such a girly girl! Well I picked it up from the library anyway, because I knew she would read it if it was in front of her. Of all the books in the pile, she started reading this one right away in the car and finished it while she ate her dinner. I could tell she liked it a lot. She was not only reading the text, but also describing the pictures to me. Despite her previous protests, she didn't seem to mind that Pinkalicious is not in the book as much since it focuses on Peter. In our house we think this whole series is great and Peter has always been a great side-kick. I'm glad to see him getting his own book and hope he gets more stories so this series could easily expand to boys as well. My daughter is also really looking forward to the TV show in February. I know some people will judge a children's book based on their adult opinion of it, but I go mostly on my daughter's. She enjoyed it, she wanted to read it multiple times, and the story is cute and imaginative just like the other Pinkalicious books. Enjoy!!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pinkalicious's brother Peter decides he's going to build a huge tower, tall enough to catch a star for Mom and find out what kind of cheese the Moon is made from. Pink helps Peter by wrangling up building supplies when they run out of their own blocks. But what will Peter find when he actually builds his huge tower?

I have read other books in the Pinkalicious series, but it's been a while and I don't remember much about them except the color saturation. So given the realistic setup I was a little surprised when Peter succeeded getting his tower higher than the house. Definitely a fantasy tale, but I do like that Peter's parents encourage his obvious talent while providing some better guidelines for the future (like a better way down). I also like that this shows a pair of siblings who get along well. Overall it's a fun imaginary tale but nothing super extraordinary. Honestly it just feels like a ploy to get boys reading the Pinkalicious series.

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally published on my blog Nine Pages .

With Pinkalicious’ help, Peter builds a tower all the way to space. He wants to do it all by himself, but he allows Pinkalicious to visit all the neighborhood houses to borrow blocks. He will get a star for Mommy and one for Pinkalicious too because she asked. One problem. He’s not planned any way to get down from his tower. Innovation strikes in the nick of time, and he rescues himself by turning his blanket into a parachute. His parents are impressed by his tower and encourage him to keep engineering better designs.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter decides that he would like to do something all by himself because he is still younger and needs help with most things. He begins building a tower that will go all the way to the to the sky where he can get a star for his mommy. His sister, Pinkalicious, helps him gather more blocks from friends around their neighborhood. Peter’s tower gets incredibly high and he discovers it is a bit scary and lonely. Eventually, the tower crashes and he determines he will never build a tower again. Peter’s parents encourage him not to quit because it did not go well the first time and that he just needs to learn from his mistakes and strive to do better next time.

[Cosette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dunno.
I was prepared to hate this book, but I happened to be standing next to a second grade boy today. I informed him of my plans to pick up this book from the library today to see if I like it. He responded by accurately summarizing the story and pointed out his favorite parts. He admitted that he didn’t care for most of the pinkalicious series, but he did like the story when pinkalicious and peterrific go to the dump.

So… for the conversation with a second grader - I suppose it’s worth it to read. Huh. Didn’t expect that.

Gonna read Emeraldalicious next. You know, to uh, follow up on the conversation.

[Katlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture Book

Pinkalicious and her brother, Peter are back in a story that focuses on Peter as he tries to get a very special gift for his mother. Build with blocks alongside Peter as he tries to build a tower tall enough to allow him to catch a star and present it to his mom. Fans of Pinkalicious will enjoy another adventure filled with love and family. Peter demonstrates the perseverance to find the perfect gift for his mother that can be seen in many children. Even when he finds himself stuck at the top of his tower and has to think of a way to get down, his family is at the bottom waiting for him. When the tower falls, after he reaches the ground, his mom and dad encourage him to build another tower. Though they suggest that this one be shorter and include a way for him to climb down.

[Molly G · Rating 3 out of 5]

HEHEH! Very nice to see Peter get his own book (don't know how he'd feel about the book having a blue cover, but pink and purple fully represented within), the magical realism always great, the kids' ambitions and dreams are lovely, and my favorite thing is always how supportive all the family members are of one another, never competitive or surly; definitely including the conclusion/"moral" of the story. Very sweet.

[Bmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features the brother of Pinkalicious! I really liked it because it brings a male character into the series and talks about how he is going to build a tower to the moon. We enjoy his thinking as he constructs the tower and his creative way of getting down. At the end of the book he even revises his tower to make it safer. This is a great book to show the process of thinking as kids construct and to realize the first version of their creation can always be improved upon.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

genre: modern fantasy fiction
grade range: kindergarten-2nd grade
personal review: this book was very cute! A lot of students love the "Pinkalicious" series, so this one would definitely be no different! Throughout the whole story, I love the kindness that the siblings display to one another. It would be really fun to read this to students and have them draw their towers that they would build all the way to the moon. This book was so cute and fun!

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to see a book that clearly follows the Pinkalicious series with a boy on the cover... but... Peterrific? It's kind of odd that more time wasn't taken to do this the right way. The story was not at all memorable and I'm not sure how this will turn into its own series, if that is the author's intention.

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm glad to finally see Peter as the star of his own book (instead of just being in his sister's stories) I just don't feel like this was a great story, maybe it just felt a little forced? Like the author felt the need to write the brother his own book but didn't really know what about? I'm not sure. I know it will be read, and kids will like it, but it was just sort of a "meh" from me.

[Shoshanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peterrific is a newer one to us. But his big sister likes the Pinkicious books and both kids enjoy watching the show on PBS. When he saw it in the bookstore he had to bring it home. I know a lot of people hate on these books but I think their fun. They seem to have such a loving, normal family. Plus I love how the kids are friends and play together.

4.5/5

[Veronika Bitting · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book, Peter builds a big tower out of blocks so he can reach the moon. This book shows that children have the imagination that allows them to create things out of their toys. We want children to build things with their toys so we see that they are using their senses correctly while growing up.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited that this book involved block building, thinking it would be a great read aloud to go along with Build a Better World theme but it was flat for me.

My two boys liked listening to it, but I don't think I could get excited about reading it for PreK Story Class.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story. Maybe slightly advanced for my almost-4-year-old. He loves tower building though, so that was quite appealing to him. However, we've only read it once, so far.

We read it in anticipation for the new show on PBS. But I'm certain he'll enjoy the show more.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pinkalicious's little brother wants to build a tall tower of blocks that will reach the clouds. He is successful but he forgot something really important: how does he get down? A cute addition to the popular Pinkalicious stories with a nice message about planning and problem solving.

[Maggie Ignasiak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacking the energy of the Pinkalicious books, but still a good read for fans. I liked the few illustrations from space, but this would be an appropriate book for a building or block activity/lesson.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pinkalicious' brother gets his own story but it's not nearly as charming.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very encouraging of child creativity and sibling harmony