We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish

December 9, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-Everyone's favorite tyrannosaurs, Penelope Rex, is back for her third outing. Having learned not to eat her classmates and how to rock the talent show, this latest adventure sees Penelope taking her turn to host the class pet, Walter the goldfish, at home. Even though she is the only dinosaur in school, Penelope has big feelings just like her classmates. There are a number of things that make Penelope feel scared, with Walter chief among them. When it is finally Penelope's turn to take the goldfish home, all she can see are his menacing fins, unblinky eyes, and bitey teeth. However, when Walter goes missing, Penelope summons all her courage and, in the process, discovers that maybe Walter isn't so bad after all. As in previous titles, Higgins employs comical dialogue, impeccable pacing, a surprise ending, and a superb message of support to young readers that validates their feelings and offers encouragement to confront what frightens them. Pair with Is This Your Class Pet? by Troy Cummings for double the class pet fun. VERDICT Another hugely successful outing with Penelope and highly recommended for purchase.-Olivia Gorecke

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February 1, 2023
Grades 1-3 Grade-school dino Penelope Rex (introduced in We Don't Eat Our Classmates, 2018) learns to face her fears--especially her fear of staring, "bitey" class goldfish Walter--in this latest outing. Penelope really, really doesn't want to take Walter home for the weekend, and indeed, when her turn rolls around at last, it gets off to a terrifying start (how did he manage to move his bowl right next to her bed in the night?). Fortunately, it only takes his temporary disappearance for her to realize that she misses him, and after he turns up in Daddy Rex's keeping, she finds him to be a fine, if silent and rather unresponsive, playmate. Her feeling of relief even prompts her to step on sidewalk cracks without fretting about her mother's spine--though coping with the alarming new pet with which her proud parents present her in Higgins' hilarious closing twist is a horse (or, to be more exact, a big cat) of a different color.

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May 15, 2023
You'd think a T. rex wouldn't be afraid of anything. You'd be wrong. In her latest outing, Penelope Rex is terrified of Walter, the class goldfish. One might suppose a goldfish would be petrified of her, a large dinosaur with a disproportionately sized head. Penelope has reasons to be frightened, though: Walter is "bitey" (Penelope's discovered this firsthand--literally) and has "menacing fins" and "unblinky eyes." Unfortunately, her teacher announces that each student will have a chance to care for Walter over a weekend. When Penelope's turn arrives, she strives to make the best of it, including Walter in her usual activities and attempting to distract him (and herself). After a few peculiarities--weird nighttime noises and a broken lamp--Walter disappears; the ensuing search leads to a complete overhaul of Penelope's feelings for her nemesis. Following Walter's subsequent reappearance, the rest of the weekend goes swimmingly, and Penelope's parents have a big surprise for her. We don't lose a class pet, but we gain a humorous, relatable story about taking dinosaur-sized pride in overcoming fears. Kids have anxieties, and this tale makes them recognizable--and a little less frightening. The lively, comical illustrations, created with graphite, ink, Photoshop, and scans of treated clayboard for textures, are appealing; Penelope is most expressive, her oversized head and large, dewy eyes emphasizing her winsome vulnerability. Penelope's human classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A resonant tale of gaining self-esteem by conquering what seems scary. (Picture book. 4-7)

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