For kids adjusting to the sometimes shaky first days of the new school year, cool and calm Pete the Cat is a model of unflappability. HarperCollins and First Book are partnering for a back-to-school initiative called First Day, First Book. Throughout the campaign, which runs until the end of October, James Dean with his wife and collaborator, Kimberly, are visiting underprivileged schools in New York, North Carolina, and Virginia. HarperCollins and First Book are donating 50 free copies of the sixth book in the picture book series, Pete the Cat and the New Guy, to each of the schools, in addition to other Harper titles – with a grand total of 10,000 books to be donated.
On September 18, Dean visited P.S. 184 in NYC (shown here), where he donned a series of very silly hats, much to the amusement of the students. During the visit, he read three Pete the Cat books, provided a drawing demonstration, and answered kids’ questions about writing, reading, and the skateboard-riding, sneaker-wearing, guitar-playing hero.
