"The next day at recess,
Penelope sat alone
on the bench.
She would not play hopscotch.
I am a T. rex,
not a hopscotcher."
Penelope T. Rex learned a powerful lesson in the first book about her ... dinosaurs don't eat their classmates. A very important lesson to learn for the sake of the children sharing that classroom. It is evident that Penelope is different from everyone else in her school, and she is feeling a bit saddened by her classmates' responses to her being there.
They think they know her; Penelope wants them to recognize she is much more than what they see on the outside. She has accomplishments none of her friends at school recognize. She loves to read and draw. She has another very special interest ... rock and roll music. She would be delighted to share it with them.
Each and every student in the classroom has a talent. And, there's going to be a talent show. Penelope is apprehensive. Will she be successful? Can she show them? She decides to give it a try, and signs up and goes home with a happy heart. The first rehearsal does not go well. The following day brings no reprieve from her sadness. Penelope decides she cannot participate.
Her dad offers perfect advice:
"Being a T. rex is only part of who you are.
You, for instance, are kind and caring,
creative and adventurous,
AND you can be anything you want to be."
How will the Talent Show go?
Ryan Higgins knows kids and he knows how to inspire them to be themselves. That is evident in thoughtful text, humorous dialogue, and the detailed and diverse images he creates to present his story.
Attention to both front and back endpapers will certainly encourage follow-up discussion. Bravo!
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