Staff photo / Allie Vugrincic Nicholas Gatta, 4, of Niles, left, and Cora Castonova, 6, of Austintown, walk with Pete the Cat and McKinley Memorial Library Director Michelle Alleman during a reading of “Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes” at the StoryWalk in Stevens Park on Thursday morning.

NILES — When asked if she was excited to meet Pete the Cat, Adrianne Medve, 6, of Niles, answered, “Yeah!”

“We have all of the Pete the Cat books,” Adrianne said. She and her brother, Christopher, 3, showed Pete their Pete the Cat stuffed animals and took a picture with him.

Pete led the way at the StoryWalk in Stevens Park on Thursday morning for a special reading of the book, “Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes,” by Eric Litwin and James Dean.

McKinley Memorial Library Director Michelle Alleman walked with Pete and about 25 kids from Niles and Austintown and their guardians, reading each page of the book aloud from one of the StoryWalk’s 18 plaques. Between stops, everyone sang the refrain of the book’s song, “I Love My White Shoes,” with the color of Pete’s shoes changing each time he stepped in something.

The stories at the StoryWalk, which is sponsored by the McKinley Memorial Library and the city of Niles Parks Department, are changed monthly, Alleman said. The first story featured after the walk’s installment last November was “The Favorite Book” by Bethanie Deeney Murguia.

The walkway itself is expected to be repaved next month, according to Niles Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz, who attended the storytime event with his family.

If you missed Pete the Cat, you can catch him Saturday at McKinley Library, where he will be celebrating during the Niles Fourth of July parade.

The McKinley library also will be having a virtual concert with Mr. Eric, the original author of the Pete the Cat books, at 6 p.m. July 28. The concert is supported by the State Library of Ohio with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.