We Will Rock Our Classmates

June 15, 2020
In this companion to We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, Penelope the T. rex takes on the schoolwide talent show. As the only dinosaur among her human peers, Penelope is sometimes seen as more behemoth reptile than individual, something that doesn’t keep her from her love of music until, at the talent show rehearsal, someone calls out, “Can dinosaurs even play guitar?” Feeling doubt, Penelope must decide whether her identity is more multifaceted than just “dinosaur.” Higgins’s mixed-media illustrations reflect a world populated by children diverse in skin tone, ethnicity, religion, and ability, supplemented by the colorful pop of fantasy that goldenrod-hued Penelope and her magenta overalls provide. The animal-human dynamics can feel hazy (Penelope’s classmate has a nonanthropomorphic pet pony that Penelope wants to eat), but the message—the importance of pursuing passions despite limiting societal expectations—is encouraging. Ages 3–5.

Starred review from May 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Penelope is back from We Don't Eat Our Classmates. Penelope is the only T. rex in her school, where she loves to play, read, draw, and sing with her guitar. However, everyone tends to remember her first unfortunate days of gulping down her classmates and see her only in the role of dinosaur in their games. Signing up for the school talent show is difficult and scary. Her thoughts keep returning to words she heard as she first took the school stage-"Can dinosaurs even play a guitar?" After days of agonizing, and a memorable talk with her dad, Penelope realizes that being a T. rex is only part of who she is. With surprise, she discovers that her classmates actually want to be part of her band. Colorful digital illustrations with ink and graphite feature speech bubbles that enhance the dialogue, while full-page scenes detail Penelope's world at school and home, e.g., a moment of low self-esteem shrinks her to a small circle of light within a double-page spread of darkness. Penelope's feelings are easily identifiable in images of eyes bright with tears from sadness and insecurity or shy smiles of pride. VERDICT A thoughtful and humorous story. Penelope's latest adventure is a welcome addition for young readers and a suggested first purchase for all libraries.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2020
Having learned We Don't Eat Our Classmates (2018), Penelope the T. rex is now trying to rock them...in the school talent show. Even though she's the only T. rex in the school, Penelope at times feels overlooked. The other, human kids typecast her as the dinosaur in all their pretend play, but Penelope's so much more: She reads and draws, and she longs to share her rock-'n'-roll music with her classmates. But the first day of rehearsal--a day of elation, excitement, and plans--leads to disappointment and self-doubt. Her father's pep talk helps her remember she is much more than just the T. rex everyone sees. And the next day, as she's gathering her courage--Walter's fishbowl is next to the sign-up sheet (readers of the previous title will get it)--some classmates ask to join her band, which is just the push she needs. Higgins perfectly captures Penelope's seesawing emotions, the highest highs and the lowest lows. The school is one of the most diverse found in picture books, with kids of all skin colors and ethnicities, several girls in hijab, a boy in a kippah, and kids using forearm crutches and a wheelchair. Hopefully the endpapers will serve as springboards for readers to declare and illustrate their own talents. While not as riotously funny as Penelope's debut, it comes with a much more meaningful message. (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 15, 2020
Grades 1-3 Penelope the T. rex has gotten over chowing down on fellow students (We Don't Eat Our Classmates, 2018), but she chafes at being typecast as a dinosaur whenever the others, who are all human kids, want to role-play. Unfortunately, her determination to show them that she can be more by rocking out at the upcoming talent show hits a sour note when she freezes up during the rehearsal. Maybe dinosaurs can't really sing or play guitar or be anything but dinosaurs. As in the opener, Dad's got a pep talk waiting at home. And so a rock star is born. Though she towers over her notably diverse schoolmates, Penelope looks anything but fearsome, sporting the shiny eyes and blunt, squared-off nose of a plush toy (even under heavy stage makeup). The ferociously scowling class goldfish Walter cuts a more fearsome figure?that is, until the curtain goes up on the climactic scene. Whether or not Penelope comes in first ends up not mattering too much?perceptive readers will understand that winning wasn't (and shouldn't be) the point.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020
This second installment about T. rex Penelope (We Don't Eat Our Classmates, rev. 9/18) centers on the school talent show. Penelope loves to rock and roll, and using her "bravest purple marker," she signs up to perform -- but her anxieties get the best of her ("Can dinosaurs even play guitar?" asks an unhelpful schoolmate). It isn't until Daddy Rex gives her a pep talk ("Being a T. rex is only part of who you are") and shows her a family photo album spotlighting her ancestors' varied achievements (including competitive eating and figure skating) that Penelope gets the courage to try again. Higgins employs thick lines and lush hues in illustrations "created using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop." Strong use of scale and perspective effectively emphasizes the otherness Penelope feels. A mixture of layouts and formats paces the visual narrative steadily, complementing the rhythmic and spirited text. Humorous asides appear in speech balloons, with dialogue adding depth to both story line and characters. The cast of humans reflects a variety of racial identities, physical abilities, sizes, ages, and religions. Endpapers feature a classroom clothesline display adorned with artwork made by real-life children (the author thanks them in the dedication).

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2020
This second installment about T. rex Penelope (We Don't Eat Our Classmates, rev. 9/18) centers on the school talent show. Penelope loves to rock and roll, and using her "bravest purple marker, " she signs up to perform -- but her anxieties get the best of her ("Can dinosaurs even play guitar?" asks an unhelpful schoolmate). It isn't until Daddy Rex gives her a pep talk ("Being a T. rex is only part of who you are") and shows her a family photo album spotlighting her ancestors' varied achievements (including competitive eating and figure skating) that Penelope gets the courage to try again. Higgins employs thick lines and lush hues in illustrations "created using scans of treated clayboard for textures, graphite, ink, and Photoshop." Strong use of scale and perspective effectively emphasizes the otherness Penelope feels. A mixture of layouts and formats paces the visual narrative steadily, complementing the rhythmic and spirited text. Humorous asides appear in speech balloons, with dialogue adding depth to both story line and characters. The cast of humans reflects a variety of racial identities, physical abilities, sizes, ages, and religions. Endpapers feature a classroom clothesline display adorned with artwork made by real-life children (the author thanks them in the dedication). Elisa Gall

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)