Pete & His Gigantic Feet

Carrie Talbott tells the story of Pete & His Gigantic Feet. As you may have guessed from the title, Pete gets bullied at school because he has really big feet. The teasing bothers him. On his way home from school, he walks through the forest. The animals want to know why he is so sad. He tells them that the kids in his school think his feet are too big.

Each animal, in turn, tells Pete they have something unusual/unique about them, but they have turned their uniqueness into something special. For instance, Mr. Beaver points out his great big teeth but he says he needs them to cut down big branches. Mr. Snail says he may be really slow, but he can always find his way back home because he leaves a slimy trail behind him. Spoiler alert: Pete no longer lets his big feet bother him because they help him run faster. They other kids realize that, too, and they no longer tease him about his feet.

The author includes a few Funny Feet Facts in the end of the book.

The illustrations by James W. Elston are bright, colorful and expressive.

What I Like: The lesson is a good one. Pete is able to turn his negative aspect – big feet – into a positive attribute because his big feet help him run faster.

What I Dislike: This book is written in rhyme, and as you probably know, I’m not a big fan of picture book texts in rhyme. Why? Because it’s so difficult to do and do it well. Although the ending words in the text in this book rhyme, the rhythm is off.

Also, although I’m sure the author did it to make a point about different animals having their own unique features, raccoons, skunks, kangaroos, and monkeys wouldn’t all be in the same forest. I know I’m nit-picking, but I thought I’d just point that out to you.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 5-10.

Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781490854793; Paperback, $10.95.

Buy now at Amazon $9.94!

Special Info: Visit the illustrator’s website.