Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kid T-Rex learns the rules in fresh, funny school story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
It's Penelope's first day of school, and after she gobbles up some fellow students, her teacher tells her, WE DON'T EAT OUR CLASSMATES. She quickly spits them out, and they're fine, if wet from slobber. She goes home and tells her dad she's sad because she didn't make any friends. He tells her sometimes it's hard to make friends. "Especially if you eat them." The next day she tries and slips up, eating and spitting out a kid again. It's only after she gets chomped on the finger by the classroom goldfish that she realizes it's no fun to fear a classmate will devour you.
Is It Any Good?
This funny story about a T-Rex in a class full of human kids shows how tough it can be to fit in, behave well, and make friends at the start of school. We Don't Eat Our Classmates is cute and silly and engaging as it teaches important lessons about empathy, getting along, and following the rules.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how hard is it is for Penelope to resist eating the kids in We Don't Eat Our Classmates because, she says, "they're delicious." Have you ever had to resist eating something yummy? How did you do it?
Have you had a first day of school? What do you remember about that day?
Is it hard or easy for you to make friends in new situations?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Ryan T. Higgins
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : June 19, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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