Pete the Cat 12-Book Phonics Fun!: Includes 12 Mini-Books Featuring Short and Long Vowel Sounds

Pete the Cat helps kids learn to read with phonics Who knew reading could be so groovy?

This set of 12 simple and fun Pete the Cat storybooks is an excellent choice to share with your beginning reader. It's a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children ages 3 to 6. Enter into the world of reading with My First I Can Read

Reviewed by a phonics expert, these 12 short full-color books feature repeated examples of short and long vowel sounds and common sight words. Each of the simple stories in this box set is designed to teach kids how to master reading while rocking out with Pete the Cat.

Phonics teaches children the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. A child who has mastered these relationships has an excellent foundation for learning to read and spell. According to the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, a child who has learned phonics has a method to recognize familiar words and "decode" unfamiliar ones.

James Dean is the original creator and illustrator of Pete the Cat. He is a self-taught artist originally from Fort Payne, Alabama. His passion for drawing became apparent at a young age, and as a child, you could find James drawing his favorite characters like Snoopy and Yogi Bear.

James earned his degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and went on to work for Georgia Power for a number of years. Eventually, he was called to pursue his art full-time and began selling his work at art festivals around the Southeast.

It was during this time that he began creating paintings and drawing of his cat, Pete. The little blue cat showed up as a character in James's artwork around 1999 and has been a permanent fixture ever since.

James Dean's art has been sold in more than ninety galleries and shops across the United States. He has devoted his paintings to Pete the Cat for fifteen years and turned his natural love for cats into his life's work. James published his first book, The Misadventures of Pete the Cat, a history of his artwork, in 2006, and he illustrated his first self-published children's book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, in 2008. There are now almost 100 published Pete the Cat titles with more coming out all the time.

James is humbled every day by the success that this groovy blue cat has brought him. He says positively affecting children's lives is his number one priority, and he is grateful to have such an amazing audience to work for.

Kimberly Dean is a children's author, artist, and yoga enthusiast best known as a NYT bestselling author and co-parent of children's book character Pete the Cat. Before fulfilling her dream of becoming a full-time author and artist, she worked for the State of Georgia, leaving the Governor's Press Office in 1998 to pursue her art.

She began selling her work at art festivals in 1999 and opened a small art gallery in 2003. She dabbles in multiple mediums and enjoys experimenting with new styles and techniques. She says of her job, "I love what I do! Work is like going to kindergarten everyday!"

In 2004, she began collaborating with fellow artist James Dean to create children's books about Pete the Cat. The Misadventures of Pete the Cat, a coffee table book of James's art, was released in 2006. Her dreams of becoming a published children's book author became a reality in 2013 with the release of her first children's book, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses. She has now written many of the Pete the Cat books, as well as started another series starring her own characters Willow and Oliver.

Kimberly lives in Savannah with her dog, Gypsy, and cat, Phoebe. Her children and grandchildren live nearby, and her favorite word is "Lovie," which is the name her grandchildren lovingly call her.