Using the children's song "The Ants Go Marching" - itself an adaptation of the classic American Civil War song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" - as an inspiration, author/artist James Dean creates a "Pete the Cat" version of the lyrics in this latest picture-book.

One of a number of Pete the Cat songbooks - other titles include Pete the Cat: The Wheels on the Bus, Pete the Cat: Old MacDonald Had a Farm and Pete the Cat: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - Pete the Cat: The Petes Go Marching will no doubt appeal to fans of this cool-cat feline and his rockin' ways. For my part, I found it a little more awkward, textually speaking, than some of the other songbooks, as if Dean were struggling a bit to fit his text to the original schema. Be that as it may, although I wasn't terribly impressed, I do think this one will find an appreciative audience with young children who can't get enough of Pete the Cat, and it is to them (with apologies to their parents) that I would recommend it. ( )