Children’s book character Pete the Cat visited his young fans at Eisenhower library in Harwood Heights on June 22, offering warm greetings and a chance to snap a photo together.
As the event began, attendees sat at designated craft tables while waiting for their turn to meet Pete the Cat. Parents and grandparents were also present, joining in on the crafting action while mesmerized by Pete’s ability to garner excitement across several ages.
After passing the time crafting amongst other Pete fans, children were called up one by one to meet the blue cat. Every child was promised an individual moment with Pete, including greetings such as an exchange of high-fives, fist bumps and hugs. Each of the more than 250 kids in attendance were also given a free photo with Pete, a memorable keepsake for years to come.
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Celeste Emanuel, Eisenhower’s children’s librarian, was in charge of the Pete the Cat event. In addition to bringing Pete to the library, she and her team also provided crafts and games to help child attendees pass the time, ranging from colorful construction paper mosaics and coloring pages, to playing tic-tac-toe and stacking block towers.
“We’ve brought in a few book characters over the years, but since [Pete’s] 2010 debut, the work has been very popular,” she said.
Emanuel said Pete’s popularity appeals mostly to the preschool and early elementary age group.
“He has a wide variety of books,” she said. “From picture books, to board books for babies, to easy readers for kids who are just starting to read on their own. He spans quite a wide variety of readers.”
Pete the Cat books are written by author and illustrator duo James Dean and Eric Litwin, bringing the stories of Pete to life through painted images. The books first rose to popularity eight years ago with the publication of the title “I love My White Shoes.”
