Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets

Penelope Rex #4

by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex might finally have bitten off more than she can chew—a pet saber tooth tiger!—in this companion to the #1 New York Times bestselling We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins.

Most kids have dogs and cats and fish and guinea pigs. Penelope Rex has Mittens.

Penelope wasn’t sure she even wanted a pet when Mittens came into her life. But now that he’s here, she is determined to make the best of it.
Pets, however—especially ones that are six hundred pounds with six-inch-long teeth—can cause very big, very messy problems.

In this companion to We Don’t Eat Our Classmates , Penelope Rex discovers the challenges and rewards (but mostly challenges) of pet ownership.

Read all of the Penelope Rex books!

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Humor, Childrens, Animals, Family, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2024

Reviews

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

I'm glad Penelope is still around to remind us all that ponies are delicious.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mittens is so cute.

Also good on the author for making the Rex's learn to be better pet parents instead of just ditching Mittens on the side of the road like so many people do when they get overwhelmed with their pets

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Rex is awesome! I highly recommend for read alouds! Don’t miss the cover under the book jacket, and its pets up for adoption notices, including Mittens, the saber toothed tiger.

[Briana Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD. This is THEE cutest of them all! 😍

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ode to “not easy” pets everywhere! Great addition to the Penelope Rex series. Be sure to check out the case cover art - you might find a new friend there! Love the family pictures in the stairwell - Penelope’s baby pic is an egg on a comfy blanket.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope is back in the latest installment from Higgins and this time, Penelope gets her own special saber-toothed cat named Mittens. Being a pet owner can be difficult as Penelope quickly discovers but the rewards of owning Mittens far outweighs all of the negative. Penelope's mortified face in each illustration as Mittens destroys her teddy bear and decides to go #2 in the bathtub is hilarious (and slightly disgusting). Great book to teach kids about the responsibilities of owning a pet and great for story time!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun. This is my 2nd favorite book so far in the Penelope Rex series, behind "We Don't Eat our Classmates." but this comes close. Penelope's parents just crack me up the way they are so carefree with all of the extreme problems the new pet causes. But I love how Penelope falls in love with her pet by working so hard to take care of him.

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Penelope Rex series and so does my daughter. The humor in this installation is excellent, a true joy for kids and parents. Honestly, I'm a fan of any picture book that's entertaining for me as well. 5 big stars!

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lovely, and funny, and amazing. Kids will enjoy it, the pictures are fun and detailed without being overly complex. The use of color is great. I would absolutely recommend this book to kids and parents.

That being said, the parents were very irresponsible. They got Penelope (a child) a pet without her saying she wanted a pet. They also then expected her to be the sole person to take care of the pet, and while Penelope did an excellent job at this, it is a little overwhelming for a child to take care of a pet, especially a pet their size, all on their own. This is something that Penelope experienced, and when her parents realized this, they separated Mittens (her pet) from Penelope, and basically locked Mittens up. It is only after Penelope can't stand being separated from Mittens and frees Mittens from her crate at night that Penelope's parents FINALLY help Penelope take care of and train Mittens.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favorite in the series. I lovvvvve this book!

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sums up dog ownership

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I loved this one as much as the first book, and that's saying a lot. Penelope's family gets a pet. She has not had the best track record with pets and is terrified.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Penelope Rex series! They are so funny but true 😁

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope's parents surprise her with a pet sabertooth cat named Mittens. Penelope is quite surprised and is not sure how she feels about her new pet. Mittens is a lot of work, and he's hogging her bed and destroying her things and disrupting recess at school. Even Penelope's parents start to get worried. Was getting Mittens a big mistake or an unexpected blessing?

Mittens may be a sabertooth cat, but I definitely know some humans who have gotten a new puppy and faced the same kinds of issues Penelope faced (the author's bio on the back flap of the book even says this story was inspired by a certain dog Higgins owns). I like that Penelope finds she's grown attached to Mittens and how the family works together to fix some of the issues (especially training). The same approach would work well for a family overwhelmed by a rambunctious puppy. Again, Higgins, the master of drawing emotions on animals - even T-rex faces does an incredible job giving Penelope and Mittens emotions, to hilarious effect.

Note Jan 27, 2025: I just finished cataloging this and noticed there are some super cute illustrations underneath the book cover. Make sure you check those out if you can get to them.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the next entry in the Penelope Rex series. Penelope is getting a pet and not just any pet, a difficult pet.

My brother has a difficult dog. She is very sweet, but she is such a mess and always doing something to ruin something or be in the way. She kills the flowers and all sorts of things. She drives me crazy. I just don't need a difficult pet. I'm not a fan. There is too much stress in life to get it from a pet. I'm difficult enough on my own. I don't need more outside help to make life rough. I guess that's why I want a bunny. I know they have their own issues like eating power cords, but they are manageable. I need a manageable pet.

Back to the book. Penelope gets a saber tooth tiger as a pet. Good things it's not a horse, because they are delicious. It's funny how we can get so attached to something at annoys us so much in the beginning.

The story is pure Ryan T. Higgins and what we expect from him. He can make any story really fun. He must have some sort of magic brush, or he just works really hard.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope is back and needs some advice on getting used to having Mittens around.

Yes, Mittens is the new family pet -- a saber tooth tiger.

You think you had trouble getting used to your new pet? Penelope can definitely relate.

Here are some things I loved about this one:

🐯Mittens is about as big as a pony, but not as delicious. And he loves Penelope -- quite agressively.

🥰The scenes with Mittens jumping on Penelope reminded me of the way Hobbes would try to jump out and scare Calvin in that classic comic series.

🦴Penelope's classroom has a saber tooth skull on display and a picture of a saber tooth tiger on the wall. How can she get a break?

🛌Mittens hogs the bed the same way many a dog (or cat) does, but we love having them there.

🐕Ryan T. Higgins was inspired by his very own troublesome dog -- Alder. There is even a picture in the author bio. 😍

Kids will pick up some great tips for training their pets along with Penelope. Another excellent installment in the series.🦕

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

This is probably my least favorite of the Penelope Rex books but I can see kids enjoying it.

One reason why I didn't love it was that Penelope seems like she doesn't even want a pet. Her parents just decided she should have one...
Also, I think it's super cute that the pet is a saber-tooth tiger, since Penelope is a T-rex, but then it seems like Higgins can't decide if Mittens, the pet, should ate more like a cat or a dog. Penelope feeds Mittens a feline chow but pretty much everything else screams dog and I definitely would have prefered cat.
This reminds me a little bit of Land Shark as Penelope has to learn to love her new pet.

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Rex get her a pet named Mittens. Mittens was rambunctious and Penelope wasn’t sure about Mittens, but she decided to give it a try. Mittens, however, brings creatures from the garden, won’t eat his breakfast, eats her toys, goes the bathroom in the bathtub, and makes lots of messes and mayhem. Can Penelope learn to love and accept Mittens? Can she get Mittens to listen?

The illustrations are colorful, humorous, and fun to look at. The text is easy to follow and read. Together, the two work well together to tell the story. Readers who like the other Penelope Rex books, dinosaurs, and books about pets will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

[Mardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight! Penelope Rex is a young dinosaur who faces the heartwarming challenges of having pets. Higgins, as usual, combines humor with important themes such as empathy, responsibility, and understanding differences.

The illustrations are vibrant and full of life, capturing Penelope's emotions and the antics of her pets in a way that will keep readers engaged from start to finish. The expressive artwork adds depth to the storyline, making it easy for young readers to connect with the characters and their experiences.

One of the standout characteristics of this title is how it encourages students to think critically about their actions and the responsibilities of being/ becoming a pet owner. It is a valuable tool for a unit on responsibility in pet ownership and would make an engaging companion to such a unit. Penelope's journey is relatable and educational and provides valuable lessons in a fun and accessible manner.

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Rex is the best thing that ever happened for kindergarteners, who of course all want to eat their classmates, and all suffer from stage fright, and who all want pets. Ryan T. Higgins looks into the kindergarten aged child and sees their Zeitgeist. And that would be Penelope. Up until now I have used Mo Willems The Pigeon Wants a Puppy to teach my little ones about pet care and puppy care. Mittens, Penelope's saber tooth tiger, is the perfect way to introduce little ones to the reality of pet responsibility. No scatological allusion is ignored.... which is perfect. Speaking of perfect, Penelope Rex is perfect with everything that she does. Our deepest and most profound thanks to Ryan T. Higgins, who truly gets it. :-)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Penelope Rex books are so cute and this is no exception. I think this would be great for anyone introducing a new pet into the family, or raising a child in a family that has a pet, or has a kid who is pet-curious, or who just likes cute things. The artwork is precious and I love that the conclusion is the Rex family working on training Mittens to be a better uhhh feline (???) citizen. If you have the hard cover version of this book, take off the dust jacket because there's some surprise content hidden there.

[Theo Scully · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a newish pet owner (one year coming up!), I feel Penelope's struggles with Mittens (her saber tooth tiger pet). However, I think this will be a valuable read for kids who have or want to have a pet - pet ownership is hard and should be fairly represented. I loved the light comedy of Mitten's various antics (what happened to the lady down the street? Will Mittens ever stop eating everything but his food?) and the subtle realization of how Penelope doesn't want an easy pet, but instead wants and loves Mittens.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated what I saw as an homage to Calvin & Hobbes in the "Penelope comes home and is tackled by Mittens" sequences. Sent me straight back to my childhood. :)


I love this series...the art, the subtle humor, the little arc of the lesson that the small humans and dinosaurs learn in each title. Good stuff.

[Kelly]

Never thought I'd see the day where Penelope would have a pet instead of eating everything. Of course, the author had to make this pet bigger so Penelope wouldn't think of just gulping it down. So we have ourselves, I think, a saber-toothed tiger. Which, as you might imagine, is a lot of work. I also love the under the jacket cover even though seeing that first was a bit misleading as to what the book would actually be about. But kudos to Higgins for making the case cover different.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope Rex and Mittens are learning together about how to share, behave and be a family.

Why I started this book: My copied arrived today and I was thrilled to start it. Higgins always brings a smile if not all out chuckles.

Why I finished it: Perfect! I don't have a pet, but its clear to see the love that Penelope and Higgins have for rambuctious and large pets.

[Laura Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think anyone who is a pet owner & lover, especially if it is dogs or cats, is going to find extra humor and ways to connect to this story. I love how Penelope is so real and relatable. Having a pet isn't always as easy as one might think it would be!
Such a fun new adventure to read and enjoy in the Penelope Rex series! Don't miss the "undies" under the book jacket cover.... hilarious!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope wants a pet and gets one she didn't know she needed. Mittens is a lot of trouble and Penelope wants him gone. But after he is put outside she misses him and wants him back. Who needs to clean up after a saber tooth tiger anyway? This story is for children who want another book about a saber tooth tiger and a dinosaur and the messes they make.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope didn't even know she wanted a pet - until there was Mittens - a saber-toothed cat. A rather large, undisciplined saber-tooth cat that made life for Penelope very difficult. Is Mittens just too much pet for Penelope to handle?
I really enjoyed this Penelope! It had a lot of subtle - and not-so-subtle humor that will make it a fun read for both kids and adults!

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope is overwhelmed by the pet her parents get her, but discovers that she would rather face the challenges than do without her pet..

Rounded up because it portrays the work and challenges that pets bring, while there are many books about the positives not many deal with the challenges and work head on.

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has Penelope met her match?
She has overcome her desire to eat classmates and seeing herself only as a dinosaur. She even overcame her fear of Walter, the Ferocious Goldfish. But can she handle Mittens?

Many kindergarteners have issues with pets, but what happens when that pet is a saber-tooth tiger, the ancestor of the homicidal, psycho jungle cats?