Parker Plum is having a bad day! He wakes from a night of slumber to find a little green egg resting on his pillow. How did it get there? While most children would find this quite unusual, Parker was accustomed to such peculiar things. He plops it in his pocket and starts his day… a day that gets worse by the minute. Breakfast is awful, he misses the bus and, worst of all, he has to sit downwind from Dave, a guy who toots all day! Every disappointment gets Parker more upset and makes the egg grow bigger and bigger until it’s ginormous. Is this rotten, smelly blob about to explode? Fortunately for Parker, veteran lunch lady Mrs. Butterbott thinks she can defuse the situation. But it totally depends on whether Parker is willing to unscramble all his self-defeating thoughts. Can he? See what happens in this creative and colorful tale from the Parker Plum book series, written by talented author and educator Billie Pavicic. Reframing thoughts and practicing positive thinking are essential coping skills. Tips are included at the end of the story to help children stop their negative thinking and become more positive and resilient. The series also includes: Parker Plum and the Journey Through the CATacombs - Parker Plum and the Intergalactic Space Detective I read this book with our two grade school aged children. This book was super engaging and our younger child especially enjoyed seeing the egg grow as Parker's negative thoughts increased throughout his day. It was a great way to depict how negativity can grow and grow and eventually it feels like it is just taking over your day. Mrs. Butterbott came to help and her advice was simple yet effective. She shared with Parker and his friends that you can't always change what happened but you could scramble away your negative thoughts by asking yourself two questions... Can I change this?and Are there any good parts hidden in the bad? While these are simple questions they are very powerful reminders for children (and adults) when they are facing challenges or obstacles that they might not have anticipated or wanted. We may not be able to control what always happens during our day but we do have the choice of how we react. Parker had learned that disappointing things happen sometimes. But how he chose to think about them made a huge difference. A big thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for a copy of this book. --Genevieve Trono, Netgalley What a fun story, as well as a great reminder for any age. The story goes through a day in the life of a young child who deals with regular ups and downs. It s a fun way to come to a conclusion with the main character about the best way to view things. It was fun. And also had great discussion at the end for parents. I would read this over another children s story because it s so great for all ages. It was an awesome reminder for myself on how I should view my life. --Amanda Block, Netgalley I love this book. It combines all the best elements of children's storytelling. First, we have a strong relevant, moral message: Be Positive...Parker himself is an easily relatable character. He is simply a boy, dealing with a real-world situation. Bottom line: Parker Plum is a 5-star children's book worth purchasing and adding to your classroom library. --Liz Terek, Blogger@devotedmommycf3.com Parker Plum wakes from a night of slumber to find a little green egg resting on his pillow. How did it get there? Parker doesn't know, and doesn't seem to care. He plops it in his pocket and starts his day]] a day that gets worse by the minute. Breakfast is awful, he misses the bus and, worst of all, he has to sit downwind from Dave, a guy who toots all day! Every disappointment gets Parker more upset and makes the egg grow bigger and bigger until it's ginormous. Is this rotten, smelly blob about to explode? Fortunately for Parker, veteran lunch lady Mrs. Butterbott thinks she can defuse the situation. But it totally depends on whether Parker is willing to unscramble all his self-defeating thoughts. Can he? Find out what happens in this creative and colorful tale. Billie Pavicic earned her MA in Counseling from Marymount University. Billie leverages her nearly decade of experience as an elementary school counselor in the lessons she incorporates in her children s books and activities. This busy mother of two enjoys writing and all things strange and unusual.