Dev Petty

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About Dev Petty
Dev Petty writes the words for picture books.
She used to be a painter in movies- like in the Matrix films and others...But now she's only artistic enough to be dangerous.
And telling stories is so much fun. She happens to like the kind that make you laugh a little and think a little. She thinks she's a pretty lucky customer to have this job.
Dev lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She's great at word jumbles, sandwich making, and finishing thi--
The fourth book in the FROG series, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP, hits shelves October 16th!
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Books By Dev Petty
The hit book about a willful young frog with a serious identity crisis and his heard-it-all-before father. Perfect for fans of Mo Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back!
Frog wants to be anything but a slimy, wet frog. A cat, perhaps. Or a rabbit. An owl? But when a hungry wolf arrives—a wolf who HATES eating frogs—our hero decides that being himself isn’t so bad after all. In this very silly story with a sly message, told in hilarious dialogue between a feisty young frog and his heard-it-all-before father, young readers will identify with little Frog’s desire to be something different, while laughing along at his stubborn yet endearing schemes to prove himself right.
And look for the hilarious sequels—I Don't Want to Be Big, There's Nothing to Do!, and I Don't Want to Go to Sleep.
★ "First-time author Petty’s dialogue between a frog father and his son makes its point about accepting one’s nature with a big grin. . . . The story might create similar gratitude in the minds of readers—or it might just make them giggle."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"A lively look at self-acceptance."—Kirkus Reviews
"This amusing story ends with a laugh and a much more content frog."—School Library Journal
"Silliness and deadpan humor combine into a hopping good story of being happy with who you are."—Booklist
"A paean to self-acceptance wrapped in snappy dialogue and illustrated with richly colored comic paintings."—Wall Street Journal
"Petty and Boldt provide just enough predictability to hook youngest readers, then deliver a delightful twist or two to create surprise and satisfaction—for both the green hero and the many fans he'll make with this book."—Shelf Awareness
"This lighthearted exploration of identity will delight as a readaloud."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
It’s Mr. Tortoise’s birthday, and he can’t wait to eat cake with his friends. But there’s a hitch! Mr. Tortoise can’t remember how old he is, so his friends don’t know how many candles to put on the cake. And they won’t stop (or slice) until they figure out the mystery.
Could Mr. Tortoise be as many years old as there are sections on his shell? He’s twice as big as the smaller tortoise . . . so is he twice as old? After the partygoers work through a variety of possibilities, they find their way to the answer with a simple bit of addition.
With text from I Don’t Want to Be a Frog author Dev Petty and hilarious graphic novel–style illustrations from Ruth Chan, How Old Is Mr. Tortoise? will have readers guessing the answer from beginning to end.
Are you a dog in need of advice? Fear not: Chip the dog is ON IT in this super-silly guide to living your best canine life. Chip is seven; he knows things. Like what to eat (important papers, the fancy bird the humans cooked for the fancy dinner, Grandpa’s teeth), and what not to eat (bees). He won’t get those mixed up, will he?
Pet lovers will see their own goofy fur-friends in Chip's earnest yet ridiculous antics, and readers who love funny animal stories will find their next favorite book buddy with Chip the dog, who's patiently waiting to eat your homework and slobber on your clothes.
Two caterpillar friends love what they have in common--lots of legs and a talent for chewing leaves into funny shapes. And when it's time to build cocoons, they hang theirs side by side. "Happy metamorphosis," says an older, more knowledgeable butterfly. And it is a happy metamorphosis indeed--for when the two emerge from their cocoons, they can fly! But so much else has changed--as one is now a moth, who flies by night, and the other is a butterfly, who flies by day. How will things work now? Fortunately some things never change--like true friends figuring out a way to be together, and happily flying into the sunset and sunrise.
Frog is excited about autumn and the coming of winter. But when Owl informs him that frogs hibernate till spring, Frog is upset at missing out on all the snowy fun. In this hysterically funny twist on the classic "I don't want to go to bed" dilemma, Frog comes up with all kinds of reasons why he's not going to sleep through winter, until he devises a clever way to convince his friends to come along for the ride.
Featuring the beloved young frog character I Don't Want to Be a Frog and his cast of zany animal friends, this new story is sure to bring a smile to every kid who's ever protested at bedtime. And parents will appreciate a bold new twist on a timeless childhood topic. It's another surefire crowd pleaser and perfect read-aloud.
And look for the other books starring Frog: I Don't Want to Be a Frog, I Don't Want to Be Big, and There's Nothing to Do!.
In another hilarious book from the I Don’t Want to be a Frog series, young Frog learns an unexpected lesson about how NOT to be bored. Perfect for fans of Mo Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back!
Frog is bored. He can’t find ANYTHING to do—even when his animal friends make good suggestions, like sleeping all day, licking between his toes, or hopping around and then staring off into space. Will he find a fun and exciting way to spend his day? Featuring the beloved characters from I Don’t Want to Be a Frog and I Don’t Want to Be Big, this new story is sure to bring a smile to every kid who’s ever said “There’s nothing to do!”
And look for the other books starring Frog: I Don't Want to Be a Frog, I Don't Want to Be Big and I Don't Want to Go to Sleep.
★ "Snappy, spot-on dialogue pairs ideally with the outsize drama of Boldt’s artwork; reading this book belongs on families’ to-do lists."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"In a structured, overstimulated world, downtime needs to be appreciated, and this small amphibian shows the way."—Kirkus
"Reminiscent of Mo Willems’s 'Elephant and Piggie' series"—Publishers Weekly
Frog does NOT want to grow up. Doesn’t need to be tall. Doesn’t want to be able to jump high enough to see the tree frogs. He’s just FINE being small. Besides, if you grow up, you don’t get to do fun things like jump in mud puddles with your best friend, Pig. Do you?
This hilarious story—which uses humor to teach that it’s great being exactly who you are—is sure to bring a smile to every kid who just wants to stay a kid, in addition to those who are the smallest in their class. It’s a sly and smartly funny tale that will have children and parents laughing together.
And look for all the book in this hilarious series—I Don't Want to Be a Frog, There's Nothing to Do! and I Don't Want to Go to Sleep.
Praise for the series:
I Don't Want to Be a Frog:
★ "First-time author Petty's dialogue between a frog father and his son makes its point about accepting one's nature with a big grin. . . . The story might create similar gratitude in the minds of readers—or it might just make them giggle."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
I Don't Want to Be Big:
"Reminiscent of Mo Willems's 'Elephant and Piggie' series."—Publishers Weekly
"An enjoyable read-aloud"—Kirkus
There's Nothing to Do!
★ "Snappy, spot-on dialogue pairs ideally with the outsize drama of Boldt's artwork; reading this book belongs on families' to-do lists."—Publishers Weekly, starred review