Claydate

A Playdate with the Claymates

Contributors

By Dev Petty

Illustrated by Lauren Eldridge

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Apr 7, 2026
Page Count
40 pages
ISBN-13
9780316564540

Price

$18.99

Price

$24.99 CAD

Format

Hardcover

Format:

Hardcover $18.99 $24.99 CAD

Join the claymates for a claydate—a madcap adventure about playing, not perfection—in this rollicking read aloud by the duo behind Claymates!

When two clay friends decide to sculpt a unicorn-dragon and a potato-knight and try to tell an epic story with them, nothing goes quite how they planned. Unicorn-dragon isn’t fearsome at all, and potato-knight keeps getting squished! Can the claymates work together to save their story and remember that a playdate doesn’t have to be perfect to be plenty of fun? Anything can happen in this laugh-out-loud adventure that celebrates friendship, storytelling, and endless creativity.

Series:

  • Praise for Claymates:
    A Junior Library Guild Selection
    A 2019 Monarch Award Nominee
    A 2018 Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book
    A 2018-2019 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee

  • * "The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own."

    Kirkus Reviews, starred review
  • * "Petty's punchy, dialogue-only narrative and newcomer Eldridge's expressive sculpture give these clay buddies a surplus of personality.... A giddy mix of naive and naughty."

    Publishers Weekly, starred review
  • "Readers and pre-readers alike will be delighted.... The value of play for the sake of play shines above all else."

    Shelf Awareness

Dev Petty

About the Author

Dev Petty was once a visual effects artist who worked on films like The Matrix, but these days she writes funny picture books for kids and their people, such as Claymates and I Don’t Want to Be a Frog. She lives in her hometown of Berkeley, California, with her husband, daughters, dogs, cats, and a snake named Boots. She invites you to visit her online at devpetty.com or @devpetty.

Learn more about this author

Lauren Eldridge

About the Illustrator

Lauren Eldridge had to take a break from sculpting blocks of cheese into cats and unicorns to write this bio. She first studied landscape architecture in school but later decided to earn a graduate degree in teaching. Lauren now builds city streets and house dragons in her basement in Madison, Wisconsin. Claymates is her debut picture book.

Learn more about this illustrator