Pete the Cat Goes Camping

Pete the Cat: I Can Read!

by James Dean, Kimberly Dean

New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean takes readers along for an outdoor adventure with Pete the Cat!

In Pete the Cat Goes Camping, Pete can't wait to go hiking, fishing, and eat s'mores by the campfire. But when he hears about the mysterious creature named Bigfoot, Pete can't help but wonder: Is Bigfoot real?

Pete the Cat Goes Camping is a Level 1 I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2018

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]

Read for my toddler’s bedtime. Pete and his family went on a camping trip. His brother told him a scary story about Bigfoot. He couldn’t sleep and worried about every sounds.

Read from kindle unlimited.

[Sita_belen]

Este cuento lo he elegido para trabajar una actividad de science en clase sobre los sentidos y toda la información que podemos recibir a través de ellos en la naturaleza o en el campo. Y para introducir la actividad y acercarles un poco al vocabulario me ha parecido un cuento perfecto.


Además, son cortos y con ilustraciones muy divertidas. Seguro que me hago con alguno más para la colección de mi Alba.

[Lori]

Pete the Cat's family goes on a camping adventure. He enjoys fishing with his dad and eating it when his mom cooks it. To top it off, they make s'mores and talk about Bigfoot. Pete leaves a s'more for Bigfoot. Pete, sharing a tent with his brother Bob, finds it difficult to sleep because of strange noises. Bob accounts for most of the sounds, but what happens when Bob falls asleep and Peter hears a big crunching noise? It's a cute picture book for young readers.

[Margaret Chind]

We love Pete the Cat and we love going camping as a family. What could be better than having both in a book?! Well, Bigfoot of course, the day after watching a fictitious film with Bigfoot. Ha. This was a selection in my Rascal son's subscription box for I Can Read! and he is thrilled with the selection and I'm delighted with the subject matter.

[Ethan Skuches]

Idk felt lackluster. Not a lot of imagination here.

[Tonya Morrison]

Text to self-connection
I made a connection with this story because it reminded me when my grandparents took my family camping at Juniper Springs Recreation Camping Park in Florida. I wanted to camp, but I was afraid of bears, snakes, plus I hate flies. It was hard for me to relax when at any second, a snake could be coming in my tent. But all the fear went away after all the fun we had fishing, great food, swimming, tubing, sitting under the campfire bonding, and the best part was when my grandparents surprised everyone on a trip to Disney Land on the last day of camping. A family tradition that carried on for years until my grandfather passed, April 15, 2006.

[Bethe]

Bookaday #69. Pete has the right idea for a vacation during pandemic times: camping! Read along version has sound effects, which seemed a bit off synch. But there’s nothing wrong when s’mores and Bigfoot are in the mix!

[Jessica Tucker]

10/10 would & will read again. Great download for my 4 yr old when she wants to look at my kindle.

[Laura]

I love Pete the cat he always makes me giggle. such a cute story about camping and all the fun things that actually happen (adults 100% sit around the campfire talking about Bigfoot).

[Lorellie]

A particularly fun adventure with Pete.

[Jillian]

A pretty basic camping-trip book. Setting up the tent, going fishing, telling spooky stories and then getting creeped out by scary noises in the night. There's nothing terribly Pete-specific here, but it's still cute and has a fun twist at the end.

[Jaime]

I read this to Julianna tonight before bed under prime reading. Cute camping story and Julianna wants to see Big foot lol that ate the smores and left note.

10/16/21 Julianna says now instead of 3 stars she gives it a 1. She was scared. :(

[alana]

Nice prep for camping or fostering a longing to go. May lead to Bigfoot inquiries.

[Kevin McGinn]

Okay

The story was okay. Nothing spectacular. I doubt that I will read this again but time will tell if I do or do not

[Jack McCarthy]

As soon as I saw the cover of the book, Pete the Cat Goes Camping, I was thrilled to join Pete on his fun and easy-to-follow outdoor adventure. In this book, Pete the Cat takes a camping trip with his family for the very first time. He experiences new aspects of the wilderness and participates in fun activities like hiking, eating s’mores, and hearing stories by the campfire. Even though he was initially a little scared by the concept of Bigfoot, he still tags along for all the camping fun and shows his bravery throughout the book. While I was reading, I enjoyed how the book combined regular camping fun with a small mystery that helped keep the story interesting for young readers.

The major themes in the book were trying new things and being brave in unfamiliar circumstances. The reader is able to see Pete try new things throughout his camping trip. From hiking in the woods to sleeping in a tent, Pete is in an unknown environment to him and is able to keep an open mind and experience new things. Pete is seen showing bravery when he is scared about the stories of Bigfoot, but continues to power through his fears and continues having fun. These themes stood out to me because they do a great job showing kids how it’s natural and perfectly okay to feel uncertain about unaccustomed activities, but they can still enjoy new experiences. The main genre of this book is adventure because the story takes the reader on Pete’s concise yet exciting trip to the outdoors. During this adventure, Pete expands his horizon and explores, learns, and faces something unknown.

Through reading this book, I learned that diving into new experiences can be a fun and healthy way to develop as a person, even if you may be a little unsure at first. I also learned a deeper lesson that being brave doesn't mean that you aren’t fearful; it just means that you don’t allow your worrisome emotions to prevent you from enjoying the moment you are in. This book was a WOW book for me because of its ability to deliver a fun and joyful story through a simplistic release. This book was also a trigger for some wholesome nostalgia of when I was a kid and was nervous to try something new, and made me think of all the times where I gained so much happiness from conquering that fear of uncertainty and broadening my ventures. The camping parts of the book were warm, and the playfulness around Bigfoot made the adventure even more enjoyable to follow. It was a short read but had a sharp message that made me feel reminiscent and sweet inside.

The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing craft in this book. First, the author used the writing craft technique of humor. An example of this in the reading is when the author surrounds the idea of Bigfoot with being spooky, but also silly. This can be seen when Pete leaves out a s’more for Bigfoot in case it may want a treat. This usage of humor offers a quality exchange of contrasting emotions(silly vs spooky) that is very age appropriate and catered towards young children to give off a friendly feel of the story. Second, the author used the writing craft technique of imagery. An example of this writing craft from the book is the author's depiction of the setting and elements of the story. Mainly things like the crackling campfire, the noises of the night, and the tall trees around the campsite. This writing craft technique enhanced the quality of the book by helping me connect the illustrations to the events happening in the story. I was able to better picture the camping trip with the use of imagery and felt like I was truly along for Pete’s journey.

I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it shows a positive portrayal of how kids can experience different emotions surrounding new experiences and validates that all of those feelings are completely normal and okay. A major competence of this book is that the story never makes fun of or teases Pete for being nervous and instead shows his ability to overcome. This relays a message of strength and inspiration to young readers and focuses on supportive relatability.

[Israel Zavala]

In this adventure book based on Pete the Cat, Pete and his family embark on a camping trip where he participates in all sorts of fun activities, such as hiking, spending time with his family, fishing and lighting a campfire. When they light the campfire, scary stories are shared, and Pete learns about the legend of Bigfoot. Initially, he is very scared of the tale and even leaves a s’more for Bigfoot to eat in order to gauge if he truly exists. However, due to this, Pete learns that Bigfoot might be just like him because he enjoys s’mores too—though, in reality, it was his parents who took the s’more and left the note for Pete, disguised as Bigfoot thanking him for the treat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I grew up reading pete the cat books, though I had never heard of this one in particular, prior to finding it for my review. I appreciate that it encourages children to explore nature, even if it seems scary at first, because many children today spend most of their time indoors. With this, two major themes that I’ve identified in this book are trying new things and overcoming fears, even if they seem daunting. At the beginning of the book, it is stated that this is Pete’s first time camping. However, instead of rejecting the chance to try something new, he is excited and can’t wait for the trip. I also think that Pete overcoming his fear of Bigfoot is another main theme of the book because he doesn’t let the story told by his sibling define his experience with Bigfoot. Instead, he tries to face the source of his fear by setting up a marshmallow trap for Bigfoot. In the morning, he finds the marshmallow gone, along with a note thanking Pete for the treat. Through reading this book, children could learn how fun it truly is to spend time outdoors and get out of the house without screens for a while. Pete shows readers many different activities they can enjoy while camping, although these activities are not exclusive to camping. Children could also learn how to overcome their fears by addressing the source of those fears instead of letting them control their lives and ruing a fun experience. This was a WOW book for me because I would always enjoy reading Pete the Cat books when I was younger. Also knowing there’s a book that can influence children to spend more time in nature and even overcome their fears made it even more impactful. I love books with deep themes, especially in children’s literature, which is why this one stood out to me.

Two literary devices that I was able to identify are when the author also uses personification as Bigfoot is portrayed as more than just a scary legend. By leaving a note thanking Pete for the marshmallow, Bigfoot challenges Pete’s fears in a human-like way, even if it was Petes parents the whole time. This turns Bigfoot from an idea made to be feared into a creature that teaches children that the unknown isn’t always something to fear. While this might seem like a bit of a stretch, I thought that the author also used the marshmallow to show Pete’s bravery and his effort to face his fears. By setting up the marshmallow trap, Pete is basically taking charge of his anxiety. When he finds the marshmallow gone and a note left behind, it shows how he’s found some closure and understanding, tying back to the idea of overcoming his fear. This is why I thought that the book had a deep meaning as previously stated as these devices are commonly used to teach these sorts of lessons in children's literature, and it is a unique approach that I would say definitely enhances the literary quality. With this, this book is anti-bias because it is simply about Pete and his family happily camping and spending precious time together, with no sort of stereotype being placed nor an opinion on any sort of controversy.

[Gwen Cuadros]

Pete the Cat Goes Camping follows Pete during his first-ever camping trip and the activities done during this trip. Pete was told a story about Big Foot which made him feel scared and anxious about this mysterious creature. The primary genre of this book is Adventure in children's literature. One thing that I learned from this story is that not everything is what it seems, in other words, don't judge a book by its cover. This story taught me this because Pete was scared of the stories people told about Big Foot and he is portrayed as a scary and bad guy, but after reading the note left by Big Foot, Pete felt relieved and realized that Big Foot is just like him and likes smores. Another thing I learned from this book is that just because someone doesn't look like you doesn't mean that they don't have similarities to you. At the end of the book, Pete says "Pete knows Bigfoot is not scary. Just because he looks different does not mean he is scary. He even likes s'mores too!" showing that even if at first glance someone may not seem to have any similar interest its important to get to know others first before judging them in a negative way. This was a WOW book for me because of the themes displayed in the book. It was a fun read and you don't even realize the important messages that it is teaching its reader, which is perfect for a younger audience and even adults.

[Stephanie Villella]

Pete the Cat Goes Camping highlights the hilariously, mischievous dynamic between siblings that most readers will be able to relate to. Their brotherly battles travel outside the home as they take on the newest adventure of camping in the woods and discovering a possible Bigfoot sighting! This fantasy picture book is sure to make anyone with siblings, brothers especially, giggle along with the tricks played and the gullible nature of Pete.

Prior to reading this book, I had not read any other Pete the Cat publications. After reading this, I did find it enjoyable and would read another as well as recommend to a student within this reading level. I recommend this reading to a young , independent reader, or a lovely parent/teacher-student duo. As mentioned previously, it is , in my opinion, best comprehended by individuals that have experience with a sibling dynamic.

Due to the feline nature of the characters, there were not many opportunities for diversity.

[Heather]

After reading Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, I picked up a pack of Pete the Cat readers at Costco for Lily. They are all cute, but none of them are quite as good as the first one.

Pete the Cat goes camping with his family and Bob (not sure if Bob is his brother or a friend). He's a little bit scared by stories of Bigfoot, until he leaves a s'more out for him and the s'more is consumed. Since a lot of the Pete the Cat stories are pretty fantastical, I wasn't sure if Bigfoot was actually supposed to be real in the context of this story or if one of Pete's parents (or Bob) ate the s'more and left the note. I thought this could be confusing to my 2-year-old too, so I decided to pass it along.

[Meagan]

What a great story about camping. Pete is so excited to go camping. They go deep into the woods and Pete and his friend, Bob go get sticks to make a fire for the night. Then, they all tell scary stories. Pete's dad tell the boys about Bigfoot. All Pete wanted to do, is see Bigfoot. The boys and Pete's mom and dad all make s'mores. Pete feel the need to leave an extra s'more on the table. He wants to reel in Bigfoot. When they wake up, Pete sees a note left. It read " Thanks for the treat!" Signed by a big paw print. He was so excited to know Bigfoot was real. This book was so fun and adventurous. It was also very suspenseful and kept a reader on his or her toes, as we waited to see if Bigfoot was real or not.

[Becky B]

Pete the Cat goes camping with his family. He enjoys fishing and eating s'mores, but he gets a little scared by Bob's story about Bigfoot. His dad tells him that Bigfoot isn't so scary, so Pete leaves a treat out for the sasquatch.

Kids can debate about who took the s'more that Pete left out. (You probably also want to tell little would-be campers to NEVER leave food out or you'll be visited by some more unfriendly critters who will leave other things than thank you notes.) This is a great intro to camping for kids, definitely the perfect read before a camping trip. Now I'm hungry for some s'mores.

[Mari Katherine]

Pete the cat goes camping with his parents and his friend Bob. They do many fun camping activities throughout the day and into the night, like making s'mores. Bob tells Pete a story about Bigfoot, and Pete gets worried. His parents quickly calm him down, and Pete decides he wants to leave a s'more out for Bigfoot. While in their tents, Pete hears noises and gets worried again. When he goes outside to check out the last noise, Pete sees that the s'more has been replaced by a note from Bigfoot.

I always love the illustrations in Pete the Cat. They are so simple yet unique. This is a very sweet and simple read, and would probably be really great for first learners.

[Alyssa Gassel]

Pete the Cat is always a crowd favorite in my classroom so I try to read them when I see them. This story is about camping. I feel it is a good intro to camping and the outdoors. It explains different activities that you may engage in while camping which is a great perspective! Some children don’t go camping often, and this can give them a glimpse into how it may feel to go!

Pete the Cat Goes Camping is both engaging and educational with the random facts throughout and lessons, so I feel it is a win, win!

[Angie]

My Review: Munchkin loves the Pete the Cat books and having just gone on his first camping trip, was excited to read this one. It was a fun book, though I am glad we read it before going camping or he might have been a little scared of Bigfoot. It did capture a lot of the fun moments for kids while camping, including hikes, stories by the fire and of course s'mores. Munchkin really enjoyed it and likes that he is able to read these Pete the Cat books all by himself.

[Amanda Ramos]

pete the cat goes camping with his family and is excited to do all the fun things kids do when they camp. however he begins to fear that big foot might be real, he leaves him a treat to see if he is real. the next day pete finds a note that says thank you for the treat. pete knows that big foot was real. its a really good child read and teaches the moral that just because we are different doesn't mean we are scary.

[C. John Kerry]

Another enjoyable book in this series. Was tempted to give this one a five star rating due to the presence of Bigfoot in the book. However since you never really see him I decided not to. Pete goes camping with his family and leaves a 'smores for Bigfoot. The other fun part is all the noises of the outdoors which get Pete wondering but his brother ascribes to perfectly normal things, such as owls. All in all a fun book and one which is likely to delight readers of this age group.

[Stan Hutchings]

a good series for children learning to read
My granddaughter read it to me with a little help and encouragement. She likes the whole Pete the Kitty and Pete the Cat series. Thankfully, many are on Kindle Unlimited, because for a 15-minute read, buying the physical books would be too expensive.
We talked about her experiences camping with her parents and what she took with her. She was excited about Bigfoot.

[Debbie]

I read this book to my students during September as part of a wilderness challenge. I had in mind a challenge I was doing, collecting pictures of teachers pets and having students try to match them to their owners - our little "tigers", "wolves", and other "beasts". So, I read this to the kindergarten through second graders, and an excerpt from the Incredible Journey to third through fifth. This book is cute, but not one of my favorites.

[Brittney]

Text to the world connection:
This exciting book relates to the real world because in reality we can go camping. In the book, the characters made a fire, went fishing, and made s’mores. All of these things we can do in the real world. All of the tasks that the characters were doing in the book were real life things that we do daily. But, the characters weren’t real.

[Spudpuppy]

Every time a patron needs help with the Freading app, I download a Pete the Cat on it and show them step by step how to do things using a Pete book. That's my protip for everyone, everything is more whimsical with Pete.

Today I chose this one and it was a banger bc Pete meets Bigfoot in it and also does the cute thing where he curls his little ears. 100/10