Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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). (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.