Nate Likes to Skate

by Bruce Degen

Overview

Nate loves skateboarding, but Kate prefers making hats.

"I hate to skate," she tells Nate. "Do you like my hat?" Unimpressed, Nate retorts "I hate that hat." Kate’s feelings are hurt—so she ignores Nate as he falls.

Now that Nate is hurt and sad, too, his outlook has changed. "Wait, Kate," he says. "I was a brat." Kate waits, and admits she wasn’t nice either, and new possibilities open. Now Nate and Kate both like to skate—and wear hats! 

Straightforward and heartfelt, Nate and Kate’s story is the perfect reminder that we may not always share each other’s interests, but we must be respectful and open-minded all the same!

An I Like to Read® book for emerging readers. Guided Reading Level D.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823435432
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	02/28/2016
Series:	I Like to Read Series
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bruce Degen is the illustrator of the Magic School Bus series and both author and illustrator of the classic picture book Jamberry. He lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

"A great choice for sports-loving newbie readers."—School Library Journal
 
"With simplified forms and interesting textured effects, the pleasing graphite-and-colored-pencil illustrations create a neighborhood setting in which small shops sell hats, slats, and mats. From the I Like to Read series, here's a satisfying choice for children just getting started."—Booklist
 
"The simple controlled vocabulary, repeated phonic units, and generous white space squarely target emergent readers. Textured crayon illustrations depict the action, featuring animal characters with expressive, childlike faces."—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

"From the I Like to Read® series, here's a satisfying choice for children just getting started."

Booklist

01/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Nate is all about skateboarding, while his friend Kate has a penchant for ostentatious headwear. At first, Nate tells Kate he hates her hat and she tells him she hates to skate, but after admitting that they were both "brats," they resolve their differences and can appreciate each other's special interests. While Degen doesn't go so far as to reverse the gender roles in this early reader, he at least depicts the friends easily adopting the other's stereotypical hobbies. Graphite and colored pencil illustrations lend a soft, accessible feel to the story, and brief conflict with a satisfying resolution makes this ideal for very young readers. The picture book-style trim size also makes this a good transition book for brand-new readers. VERDICT A great choice for sports-loving newbie readers.—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

School Library Journal

2015-11-03
Degen attempts the daunting task of writing a satisfying story using just 49 words and avoiding singsong rhymes. Nate, a gray, skateboarding kitten, and Kate, an orange kitten enamored of hats, experience a bobble in their friendship. Words in the "-ate" and "-at" word families are used repeatedly. Nate, skate, great, grate, hate, gate, wait, and late, and hat, that, flat, and even brat are repeated often enough that beginning readers will start to recognize and anticipate them and eventually read them. Observant readers will also find some of these words or their variants in the first few illustrations. The 33 sight words are all one syllable and are also used repeatedly. The book succeeds admirably as a beginning reader. Its success as a picture book is more problematic. The story is slight, and the central conflict—hurt feelings between friends—is quickly and arbitrarily resolved with Nate's and Kate's mutual apologies when feelings are hurt and subsequent appreciation of each other's enthusiasms. Thankfully, this is accomplished without any preachy adult intervention. Some grown-ups may be uncomfortable with the recurrence of "hate" and "brat," but children will appreciate the unvarnished feelings. For a genuinely clever story about street skating, stick to the almost wordless classic Skates, by Ezra Jack Keats. For a nonpedantic beginning reader, Degen's offering works well enough. (Picture book/early reader. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews