PreS-Gr 1-Pete's back, this time in a rhyming counting book that has the cat and his platypus buddy, Gus, solving a mystery: Who's taking the cupcakes for the party? The tale sees the friends, most of whom will be familiar to fans of the mischievous feline, giving alibis one by one ("Turtle said, 'It wasn't me! It couldn't be! I've been swimming in the sea!'") while Pete and Gus seek clues. Observant readers will enjoy finding hints along the way-amphibian footprints are a dead giveaway-and the rhyming and counting down as the cakes disappear make the book highly interactive. As usual, the Deans accompany their rollicking tale with jump-off-the-page bright artwork. Even the endpapers get in on the fun-they show sumptuous cupcakes, with the possible culprits popping up here and there. VERDICT For storytime or anytime sharing, this appealing picture book will be eaten up by readers and listeners alike.-Henrietta Verma, National Information Standards Organization, Baltimore © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In his latest picture book, the laid-back cat has his dander (slightly) up: someone has been filching cupcakes, two at a time, that Pete and his backward-cap-sporting platypus friend Gus baked for a cupcake party. Unfortunately, the story's rhymes, which come and go, can't keep the beat. Still, James Dean's illustrations--paintings in a blazing palette with strong black outline--are reliably attention-grabbing. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.