Pete the Kitty and the Beanstalk

by James Dean, Kimberly Dean

Join Pete the Kitty on a journey up the beanstalk in this My First I Can Read story from New York Times bestselling team Kimberly and James Dean.

Once upon a time, a kitty named Pete and his friend Callie climbed a beanstalk as tall as the sky. At the top, they heard ""Fe! Fi! Fo! Fum!"" But where are the sounds are coming from?

Beginner readers will love this new Pete-tastic spin on the beloved fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk!

This My First I Can Read book is carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and sweet illustrations—which means it's perfect for shared reading with emergent readers. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.

For more groovy fairytale twists with Pete the Kitty check out Pete the Kitty and the Three Bears!

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

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.

Reviews

[Nicole Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Pete the Kitty and the Beanstalk and truly enjoyed listening to it with my son. This playful twist on a classic tale was engaging, fun, and perfect for young listeners. The story keeps the familiar elements of the traditional beanstalk story while adding Pete the Kitty’s charm and humor, which made it especially enjoyable for both kids and adults.
As a teacher, I can already picture my classroom loving this book. The playful storytelling, friendly characters, and imaginative details make it a great read-aloud that keeps children engaged from start to finish. I especially loved the fun and creative ending—it put a fresh, cheerful spin on a well-known story and left us smiling.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book. It’s a wonderful addition to any home or classroom library! 📚🐱

[Mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was super cute. My two younger kids (3 and 5) really enjoyed the audio, and honestly, it did a great job keeping them locked in. They were actively participating the whole time, pretending to play drums, yelling, and generally acting like they were part of the story. Which, as a parent, is basically the gold standard.

As an adult, I thought it was fun and engaging without dragging. The narration kept things lively, and the book made it easy for little ones to follow along and stay excited from start to finish.

Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate these quick audiobooks? As a parent, they are an absolute lifesaver for little kids and busy days. Short, entertaining, and everyone wins.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pete the Kitty and the Beanstalk" is a beginner reader book continuing on with the adventures of our beloved Pete the Cat/Kitty. As a preschool teacher, I really enjoyed that this book tied into a traditional fairy tale. By introducing the story to the class with a character they already love (Pete) I'd then be able to bring in additional variations of the fairy tale, felt board stories, puppets, etc for my class of 4-year-olds to explore and retell.
I will definitely be looking for this title in stores to bring into my classroom!

Thank you, Harper Collins & HarperAudio Childrens, for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Steve Edholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old was cracking up hearing this book. He has always loved Pete the Cat and so getting an audio version was a bit different for him, but he thought the story was really fun, even not recognizing the Beanstalk story. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job reading. The cadence was great, clearly well spoken. We both loved it!

Thanks to HarperAudio Children’s for the ARC of this through NetGalley!

[anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete is an absolute legend in our house! I listened to the audiobook which turned out to be fantastic. My 5 year old son loved it so much we had it on repeat. It’s the perfect length and the narrator does a fabulous job. It’s enjoyable to listen to even as an adult. We will be purchasing the book when it’s released so my son can read it to me 🤩
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio children’s for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete the Cat is always fun and I love plays on traditional stories. This was a great production that made the story really fun to listen to.
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pete tends to put a gentler spin on familiar fairy tales. In this story, Pete the Kitty and Callie discover the giant at the top of the beanstalk just wants to be a drummer, and the tale ends with a birthday party dance.

[Katy Merz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lol I didn’t think I’d get approved for this!! My 3.5 year old loved it! Pete the kitty is cute!

[Jordan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audio book was pure delight. My 4 year old was giggling and asking to listen to it immediately after it finished. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for a chance to listen to this ALC.