I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the cover doesn't do much for me, I thought the rest of the book was decent. A great tool for teaching kids how to manage their thoughts and not dwell in the negative.

Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts follows Parker Plum as he gets a big lesson on positive thinking. He woke with a small, bean-sized egg on his pillow. Rather than question why it's there, he pops it in his pocket and takes it to school. From the start, right at breakfast, things begin to go wrong. And unbeknownst to Parker at first, the angrier he gets over things he has no control over, the bigger the egg gets. And the smellier. Thankfully, Mrs Butterbott has a solution. She teaches Parker to view each situation that created the ginormous egg differently, until finally it was gone. The artwork is just lovely! At the end, there are tips for parents and teachers to help kids deal with 'rotten egg thoughts'. I'd actually say this is a perfect introduction to Stoic philosophy for kids.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Boys Town Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Overall I like the metaphor. The author has done a great job at developing a concept and playing it out to the end. Sometimes I like the art sometimes I don’t. The cover seems to dark and old fashioned, but the pictures towards the end with the colorfully gross egg, work really well. I like this book, but not enough to buy it for my library or my personal collection.

Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts is a wonderful story about reframing negative thoughts and learning from adversities and mistakes. The story was relatable and engaging. The illustrations were adorable. This will be a powerful tool in my school counseling office. I already have a lesson plan in mind. Thanks Boys Town Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

Parker Plum finds a very curious objective on his pillow in the morning when he awakens. He turns over and finds a little green egg resting along side of him. He has no idea where it has come from but scoops it up, places it in his pocket and is off to start his day.

He has many mishaps and misfortunes as the day begins such as: having to eat a terrible substitute breakfast because his mom is fresh out of his favourite waffles, missing his school bus ride because of him sulking so long over having to eat cold and lumpy oatmeal, and setting his mind in the mood that it is going to be a terrible, awful, no good day.

Parker remembers the little egg that is harboured in his pocket as his mom drives him to school. When he fishes it out and takes a good look at it he notices that it has grown substantially larger. Mmmmm... that's weird.

Once at school his day doesn't improve. Parker dwells negatively on all the things that he perceives is going wrong. It appears the more he spews this negatively into his mind and heart, and laments about the injustices he's experiencing, the more his egg swells up. It keeps ballooning in size until it is humungous and gives off a rotten, putrid odour. Whatever is he to do to irradiate this nightmare?

It's Mrs. Butterbott, the elderly lunch lady, who knows exactly how to defuse this rotten egg bomb. She confronts Parker with the fact that it can only be destroyed if Parker is willing to put aside his negative thoughts and feelings and replace them with positive, uplifting ones. It is his choice. Will he let go of all his pessimism and allow his mind to dwell on affirmative and optimistic things?

The illustrations are beautifully executed and visually bring the tale alive. The book is a great catalyst for discussions of self-awareness and self-control. It is a wonderful life lesson for kids to learn early on in life. Being positively charged instead of negatively charged can truly change your whole outlook towards life and make a difference in the lives of others around you. I definitely would recommend this book for parents, caregivers and educators to share with kids.

I would like to begin by thanking NetGalley and Boys Town Press for an advanced digital copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.
"Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts", by Billie Pavicic, is a gem. This book is sure to be a classic for education, youth groups, counseling, and individuals seeking individual growth.
Peter Plum awakens to a brand new day and finds a mysterious item on his pillow. He does not put much thought into this item but he does put a lot of effort into deciding that his day was doomed from the start. After a series of "negative events", Peter began noticing that his peculiar find is changing, and not for the better. Things seem to quickly spin out of control when help, the lunch lady Mrs. Butterbott, shares a valuable technique to turn his misfortune around.
This book should be on every shelf, especially young children. This book can give them a strong foundation in self awareness and control. Please do get this book for any parent, teacher, counselor, kid, or grandkid you may encounter. It will bless their lives.

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?"

"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.

Parker Plum and the Rotten Egg Thoughts is a picture book for older readers who don’t always see on the brighter side of things. Pavicnic’s story begins when Parker wakes up and finds a little green egg on his pillow. His day gets off on the wrong foot when his mother serves oatmeal instead of waffles. He misses the bus, does poorly on a quiz, and is moved behind “the stinky kid.” Each time he mentally complains about his day, the egg grows larger. The school’s lunch lady, Mrs. Butterbott, thankfully knows what to do before the rotten egg can explode and helps Parker put the day’s events into perspective.

The illustrations are colored pencil style images that tell the story nicely. Mrs. Butterbott’s advice to ask yourself “can I change this” and “are there any good parts hidden in the bad” whenever something disappointing happens is great advice that can be expanded to anytime something generally bad happens. Putting things into perspective always helps.