Pete Likes Bunny

by Emily Arnold McCully

Overview

When Bunny joins Miss Pooch’s class, Pete can’t stop staring at her. He thinks about Bunny all the time—even when he’s eating dinner and when he’s brushing his teeth. But when Pete sits next to Bunny on the school bus, the other kids all shout, "Pete likes Bunny! Pete likes Bunny!" At home, a dejected Pete confides in Mom, who thoughtfully suggests that Pete give Bunny flowers. As in the first two Pete books, Pete Won’t Eat and Pete Makes a Mistake, Emily Arnold McCully portrays profound emotions and important relationships—especially between parent and child—through simple text and eloquent body language and facial expressions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823436538
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	07/30/2016
Series:	I Like to Read Series
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.18(w) x 10.27(h) x 0.28(d)
Lexile:	240L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Emily Arnold McCully, a Caldecott Medal winner, is the author and illustrator of other I Like to Read® books, including Late Nate in a Race; Little Ducks Go; Sam and the Big Kids; 3,2,1, Go!; Pete Won't Eat and Pete Makes a Mistake.

Editorial Reviews

"This solid beginning reader in picture-book format offers a sympathetic take on a seldom-discussed situation."—Kirkus Reviews
 
"Even kids who don’t necessarily relate to the tender romance will appreciate the straightforward vocabulary, repetition, sight clues, and other elements that build fluency."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
K-Gr 2—This early reader takes place in a classroom where the students and teacher are animals. Mrs. Pooch introduces the class to a new student, Bunny, who is assigned a seat next to Pete, who is a pig. "Pete stares at Bunny. He cannot help it./Bunny is perfect!/He thinks about Bunny all the time." The next day, when Pete sits next to Bunny on the bus, kids taunt him and disrupt the class, saying, "Pete likes Bunny!" Pete's mom encourages him to pick flowers for Bunny, and Bunny gives Pete some homemade cookies. Now when the class sings about Pete liking Bunny, the duo don't mind, "because it's true." The mature theme of a sustained crush brings to mind James Marshall's Fox in Love, which features animal characters in a longer beginning reader format. McCully's text is far simpler, and her watercolor cartoon characters have a lot of charm. VERDICT Even kids who don't necessarily relate to the tender romance will appreciate the straightforward vocabulary, repetition, sight clues, and other elements that build fluency. A solid addition to most collections.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal

2016-07-02
McCully's newest addition to the I Like to Read series is a fresh take on a common school experience: a first crush. The new kid, Bunny, is introduced to the class, and Pete, a pig, is smitten. His classmates notice and tease him. The surprisingly passive Ms. Pooch shushes the class but doesn't correct their behavior. Pete is sure Bunny won't like him after being embarrassed. Of course, Mom has a solution. Pete and Bunny don't mind the teasing when they realize that it is true: Pete does like Bunny, and the feeling is mutual. The problem is somewhat quickly resolved, but thankfully, McCully resists the temptation to spell out the moral lesson. The situation is clearly described in short three- to six-word sentences. This I Like to Read title uses a few sight words, such as the days of the week, in addition to words that are pretty easy to sound out. All the cartoon animals are dressed in human clothing, and McCully refers to them as “kids.” There is a multiplicity of species represented, reflecting the diversity that is becoming the norm in American classrooms. This solid beginning reader in picture-book format offers a sympathetic take on a seldom-discussed situation. (Picture book/early reader. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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