Bringing Early Literacy, Music, & Positivity Together!
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Pete the Cat
Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes
HarperCollins, 2010, Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by James Dean
Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand-new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are,Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good.
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2017 SMART Book Award Winner, Get Smart Oregon
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2014 SMART Book Award Winner, Get Smart Oregon
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2013 Morning Calm Award Medal, International Schools of South Korea
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2013 Best Picture Book, Colorado Children’s Book Award
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2013 Best Picture Book, North Carolina Children’s Book Award
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2012 Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library - Ladybug Picture Book Award
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2011 ReadKiddoRead award for Best Illustrated Books
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2011 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award
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2011 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award: Picture Book Honor Awards
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2010 Awarded 25 Books all Young Georgians Should Read
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Pete the Cat I Love my White Shoes has been a NYT Best Seller for 108 weeks.
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Translated into: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese Complex, Chinese Simplified, French, Galician, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese
Pete the Cat, Rocking In My School Shoes
HarperCollins, 2011
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by James Dean
Pete the Cat is rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunch room, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song...because it’s all good.
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2014 South Carolina Picture Book Award Winner
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2013 Monarch Award, Illinois School Library Media Association
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2013 Best Picture Book, The Kentucky Bluegrass Award
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March 19th, 2012 - Eric Litwin and Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes were recognized in a resolution by the Georgia State Senate and Georgia House of Representatives.
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#1 New York Times Best Seller on Aug 26th, 2012.
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Translated into: Chinese Simplified, French, Japanese, Korean, Turkish
Pete the Cat, and His Four Groovy Buttons
HarperCollins, 2012
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by James Dean
Count down with Pete in this rocking story that makes counting fun! Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons. But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons? The winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award.
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2023 Good Housekeeping 17 Best Books for 4-Year-Olds
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2014 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, North Dakota Library Association
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2013 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award
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2013 Bridge to Reading, Dubuque Picture Book Award
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2013 Niagara Children's Planning Council, The Regional Chair Early Years Niagara Literary Award
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2013 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award
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2013 ALSC Notable Children’s Books
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2012 Best Books of 2012 Amazon.com
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2012 Best Books for Kids 2012 Barnes and Noble
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New York Times Best Seller for 54 weeks
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New York Times # 1 Best Seller for 4 weeks.
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Translated into: Chinese Complex, Chinese Simplified, French, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Russian, Turkish
Pete the Cat, Saves Christmas
HarperCollins, 2012
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by James Dean
'Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill. In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill.
Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that? "Never!" cried Santa.
"Let's call Pete the Cat!"
Spend the holidays with your favorite blue cat! In this rockin' spin on the traditional tale The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do.
ACCOLADES
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Pete the Cat Saves Christmas debuted at # 1 on October 14th, 2012
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Translated into: Chinese Simplified, French, Japanese, Korean, Turkish
Groovy Joe
Groovy Joe, Ice Cream & Dinosaurs
Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2016
Written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Groovy Joe faces three roaring dinosaurs hungry for his doggy ice cream! Oh No! But Joe knows just what to do and soon enough he has them all sharing and while moving and singing along.
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2020 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers - Featured Book
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2017 Bell Picture Award shortlist, 'Sing' category
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2016 National Parenting Publication Award
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2017 Bridge To Reading Picture Book Award
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2017 AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award for Narration
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Translated into: Spanish
"This celebration of sharing has everything: an ice cream-themed refrain for kids to shout out, big stomping dinosaurs who can also cut a rug, and a lovable furry dog."Publishers Weekly
"Children will want to move and groove along with the mischievous and playful dog and his hefty and humorous friends in this colorful rhyming story, sure to capture lots of attention." Booklist
"This title has all the elements of a classic Litwin story: fun characters, a heartwarming message, and a catchy song. School Library Journal
Groovy Joe, Dance Party Countdown
Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2017
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
A groovy story that will have little ones singing, dancing, and learning math to a whole new beat. Groovy Joe has a dance party. But Oh No! More and more doggies are knocking on his door, asking to come in. Will there be enough room for everyone? Joe knows just what to do and, soon enough, he has everyone moving and grooving.
ACCOLADES
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2019 Indiana Library Federation, Read Alouds Too Good To Miss, Primary List
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2018 One Book 4 Colorado Award (75,000 copies distributed to 4-year-olds across Colorado)
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Translated into: Spanish
"A reliable crowd-pleaser, this book will easily slot into a storytime rotation with sure success."
School Library Journal
If You're Groovy and You Know It, Hug a Friend!
Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2018
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
This book is a playful remake of If You're Happy and You Know It with an emphasis on deeds. Tom's illustrations are beautiful and bring Groovy Joe and his friends to life. Download the song for FREE, as well as a karaoke version so you can MAKE UP YOUR OWN WORDS! Learn more and download your songs here: www.scholastic.com/kids/books/groovy-joe
The Nuts
The Nuts, Bedtime at the Nut House
Little Brown Books, 2014
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Scott Magoon
It's bedtime at the Nut House but little Wally and Hazel Nutaren't ready to go to sleep. "We're Nuts! We're Nuts! We're Nuts! Why go to bed when you could be signing and howling at the moon? But Mama insisted... "All little Nuts need to go up to bed!". Who will win the bedtime tug-of-war?
ACCOLADES
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2014 American Booksellers Association Best Book Selection for Early Readers
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2014 Apple ebook Best 2014
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2014 A Scholastic Book Club selection
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2014 Nominated for the SIBA Book Award
The Nuts, Sing and Dance In Your Polka-Dot Pants
Little Brown Books, 2015
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Scott Magoon
Little Hazel Nut would love to sign and dance with her family - but they're busy, busy, busy. Oh No! There is one Nut Family member though who answers the call - groovy Grandma Nut! Once Hazel and Grandma put the needle on the record an epic Nut Family dance party ensues and the Nuts are together again!
ACCOLADES
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2016 International Literacy Association Children's Book council reading list selection
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Scholastic Book Club selection
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2014 ABC (American Booksellers Association) Best Books Selection for Early Readers
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Nominated for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award
"Children will ask for it again and again."
School Library Journal
The Nuts, Keep Rolling
Little Brown Books, 2017
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Scott Magoon
Hazel and Wally Nut playtime roll down a muddy hill turns into a hilarious chase when they get covered in so much muck that they get bigger .... and bigger ..... until they're as big as ELEPHANTS! Can anyone help get the Nuts back down to size? Eric Litwin offers an upbeat and inspiring message: What do you do when you roll into trouble? Keep Rolling!
ACCOLADES
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Translated into: Korean
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2017 Amazon The Prime Book Box initiative - Selection
The Power of Joyful Reading, Help Your Young Readers Soar to Success
Scholastic, 2020, Written by Eric Litwin and Gina Pepin
When young children are immersed in joyful and engaging shared reading experiences throughout the day, something wonderful happens. They learn to love books, enjoy reading, and see themselves as readers. They also gain basic reading skills and knowledge, which prepares them for successful reading instruction. Eric Litwin and Gina Pepin give you what you need to transform your classroom into a “reading playground”-a space in which children read along to, sing to, dance to, and celebrate words and texts. A space in which they experience the power of joyful reading.
“In this readable book, Eric Litwin and Gina Pepin remind us that learning to read is something that is taught and something that should be joyfully experienced. Reading should be more than a skill or competency—much more. It should add to our humanity and touch our hearts. Eric and Gina show us the way.” – Dr. Timothy V. Rasinski, Professor of Literacy Education, Kent State University, and author of The Megabook of Fluency
The Poop Song
Chronicle Book, 2021
Written by Eric Litwin, Illustrated by Claudia Boldt
Discover how cats, pelicans, space aliens, and even dinosaurs poop in this rollicking, rhyming verse that's sure to elicit giggles. With plenty of hilarious pictures and a catchy chorus that encourages young children to use the toilet, this laugh-out-loud story is the go-to potty training book that every family needs.
Translated into: Korean
"Litwin (the Pete the Cat series) presents a giggle-inducing, nose-wrinkling (and informative) picture book in rhyme about poop. The singable text (link to recording on the copyright page), aimed at young children learning to independently use the toilet, identifies how and where many creatures relieve themselves. . . . [With w]himsical . . vibrantly colored, movement-filled illustrations, Litwin approaches the topic in playful, frank, and encouraging terms that nudge the child listener with every refrain. . ."-The Horn Book Magazine
"The text has a rhythmic, rhyming cadence that clearly lends itself to singing. . . [A] note on the jacket flap prompts readers to find a recording of the song at the publisher's website. Listeners will be treated to an upbeat tune, flushing sound effects, kids' voices chiming in with Litwin's, and perhaps just a few fartlike sounds for good measure. Sure to be music to the ears of potty-training families."-Kirkus Reviews--