Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly and Dean James

Dean, Kimberly & James.  Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes.  40 pages.  Harper, 2016.  $17.99.  Content: G

Pete the Cat and Gus make cupcakes for their friends.  They look at the cupcakes and realize that one is missing.  They start to look for clues and find crumbs by Squirrel, but he says it wasn’t him.  Two more cupcakes are now missing and they follow footprints to Alligator who is also innocent.  Two more are gone and the ask Turtle who says it wasn’t him.  Then all the cupcakes were gone!  They follow the crumbs, trash, and footprints to discover the true culprit. 

The story is simple and fun, like all of the Pete the Cat series predecessors.  The illustrations are a combination of pen and ink with watercolor and acrylic paint resulting in bright backgrounds and charming characters.  A perfect pick for the preschooler and early elementary crowd. 

Pre-K, EL-Essential.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.