Higgins, Ryan T. (2024). Penelope Rex and the Problem With Pets. Hyperion.
*Downloadable activity sheets at the end of this post!
This reminds me so much of our younger dog. Maybe he’s actually a sabertooth kitty. Take a look.
Penelope wasn’t sure about having a pet at all. Nevertheless, one day her day came home with Mittens.
Mittens certainly was enthusiastic but Penelope still wasn’t sure. He would knock her down in his excitement when she got home from school. He’d tear her teddy bear, clothes and backpack.
He got on the table and ate her dinner and the neighbor suspiciously went missing.
Having Mittens was hard!
One day, Penelope had finally had enough and yelled at Mittens, telling him he was being bad. She felt angry and sad and that maybe she wasn’t meant to have a pet.
Her dad thought maybe Mittens was a little too much for Penelope. She had some seriously big feelings going to school that day. But when she got home that day, Mittens didn’t knock her down at the door. Dad had put him outside in the backyard. He wasn’t at the the dinner table, because they put up a baby gate.
And her once too small bed, now felt really big and empty without Mittens, who was in his crate. So, Penelope snuck down stairs, opened the crate and…
*pounce!*
And the house was happy…
“Especially in the room up the stairs and down the hall.
Mittens would never be an easy pet. So they learned what he needed, and how to be better pet owners, and how to train Mittens and keep his brain busy. And all that was ok because Penelope didn’t love any other pet. “She loved Mittens.”
And they both loved ponies. 😉
Another winner by Ryan T. Higgins. A great installment of Penelope Rex and a fabulous reminder of how pets need responsible owners who look after their needs and grow their lives around those of their pets. Cuz those pets have a lot of love to give, and they’re worth it.
Recommended Ages: 3-7
Activity Sheets:
Original source: https://books.disney.com/ryan_t_higgins/