Claydate: A Playdate with the Claymates

by Dev Petty, Lauren Eldridge (Illustrator)

Overview

Join the claymates for a claydate—a madcap adventure about playing, not perfection—in this rollicking read-aloud by the duo behind Claymates!

When two clay friends decide to sculpt a unicorn-dragon and a potato-knight and try to tell an epic story with them, nothing goes quite how they planned. Unicorn-dragon isn't fearsome at all, and potato-knight keeps getting squished! Can the claymates work together to save their story and remember that a playdate doesn’t have to be perfect to be plenty of fun? Anything can happen in this laugh-out-loud adventure that celebrates friendship, storytelling, and endless creativity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316564540
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/07/2026
Series:	Claymates , #2
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dev Petty was once a visual effects artist who worked on films like The Matrix, but these days she writes funny picture books for kids and their people, such as Claymates and I Don’t Want to Be a Frog. She lives in her hometown of Berkeley, California, with her husband, daughters, dogs, cats, and a snake named Boots. She invites you to visit her online at devpetty.com or @devpetty.

Lauren Eldridge is a three-dimensional photographic artist and the illustrator of Claymates, Hustle Bustle Bugs, and Sleep Train. She studied landscape architecture in college, earned a graduate degree in early childhood education, and subsequently taught in special education. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, children, dogs, and no snakes whatsoever. She invites you to visit her online at eldridgestudio.com or @eldridgestudio.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Claymates:
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A 2019 Monarch Award Nominee
A 2018 Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book
A 2018-2019 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee

* "The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Petty's punchy, dialogue-only narrative and newcomer Eldridge's expressive sculpture give these clay buddies a surplus of personality.... A giddy mix of naive and naughty."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Readers and pre-readers alike will be delighted.... The value of play for the sake of play shines above all else."—Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher