Review: Pete's First Playdate by Ann Harrell

Genre: Children's 3-6

Published: October 25, 2022

Pages: 32 

A sweet story about being true to yourself and making new friends. For superheroes ages 3 years and up.

Pete wants to go on a playdate. He waits, and he waits, and he waits for an invitation. But when new neighbors move in, he reveals his superpowers and makes things happen! 

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is an adorable little story about a young boy who just wants to have a playdate like his sister gets to. He asks several different friends at school, but nothing comes of those requests. Then one day he's playing in his yard when a new family moves in next door. They have a girl who is about the same age as Pete and she is also very much into super heroes. In 12-14 years, these two could star in their own YA romance. They spend most of the day playing in her yard and have a blast protecting the city from evil. 

The illustrations were fun and imaginative. They had bright colors without being overly distracting and they provided a lot to look at to go along with the story. This is another book that I'd be okay reading to kids a few times, not all the time, but a few re-reads wouldn't suck. Overall I give this book 3.9 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Ann Harrell believes in the power of story. As a licensed counselor, she listens to stories; as a certified dance therapist, she expresses stories through movement; and as a children’s author, she creates stories. Ann writes picture books that relate to a child’s social-emotional voice. Some of her stories reflect her upbringing in Turkey. Ann lives in Greensboro, NC with her husband and two dogs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys family time, dancing, and taking walks with her golden retriever, rescued from the streets of Turkey.

Renate Vermeulen-Potter (Tilburg, 1982) is a self-taught illustrator (and aspiring author) from the Netherlands. She used to work as a (history) teacher at primary and secondary schools and always got inspired by her students. Her love for history, art, nature and teaching make her the person she is today. Full of dreams and energy to fill the world with more love and confidence in a brighter future.