Like most Boys Town books, this is an “issue” book. It’s about learning to like yourself the way you are. I like the idea, but I think the story is too wordy and too “in you face” - “learn this lesson”. Not all lessons need to be broken into a -------. Sometimes you can just say it plainly. BTW, I hate the illustrations. There are some great individual pages, but all together, yuck.

Parker Plum and the Journey through the CATacombs is second in the Parker Plum series. Follow Parker as he gets a big lesson in learning to be happy with who he is instead of comparing himself to others. When a new student to Parker's class shares some amazing adventures traveling the world, he begins to feel overshadowed and jealous. During a class trip to the museum to see an Egyptian exhibit, Parker gets a visit from one of Bast's Blessed, for who better to teach lessons on being happy in your own skin than a Cat? The artwork is just lovely! At the end, there are tips for parents and teachers to help kids learn the CAT method. Like the first in the series, this is another 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.

Loved it!! Very cute drawings, story and characters not to mention historical facts! Will be checking out the other books from this series and author.

I liked this story and think it can be appreciated by children and adult.
It's well written, interesting and entertaining.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This K-5 level book aims to help kids develop a balanced view of themselves and avoid unhealthy comparisons or jealousy. Parker Plum is a reasonably interesting kid, but when the new kid at school shows up with way more stories and adventures than Parker could ever hope to have, he feels overshadowed. During a class trip to the "Metropolitan Mummy Museum," an ancient Egyptian cat sculpture comes to life and starts offering Parker suggestions on how to feel special. But the real breakthrough in Parker's view of himself is wrapped up in the nifty acronym CAT. The pictures are pretty cute.

The book comes with a guide for parents and educators who want to help kids be content with who they are and be happy for other people too. It seems like a good resource.

This is the first Parker Plum book I have read an I have to say I am very impressed.
This social story is easy to read and interesting enough to hold a child attention whilst delivering an important message.
This message is delivered in a clear and easy to grasp way.
The illustrations are clear and I like the style of them.

The message of learning to be happy with who you are is a big one, and hugely important in this day and age.
Tips for parents and educators in the back of the book is wonderful resource. There is alot to learn from this book for adults and children.
I will be looking out for more in the Parker Plum series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun story with a great message for the recommended age range, along with some great resources and tips for parents/teachers in the back of the book. The illustrations were lovely and the message of the story seemed to be easy for children to follow. My primary issue was the lack of Egyptian references. To be sure, there were a few, but this was touted as including much more Egyptian aspects than it did which would have been another great learning opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for providing me with an ARC.

I want to thank #netgalley for giving me a copy of #ParkerPlumAndTheJourneyThroughTheCatacombs to review. This is a book about not getting bogged down in trying to be better than others. I liked the story and the parent/educator guide at the end that gives ways to help kids feel better about themselves. I thought the phrasing of the tips given was catchy and useful. I would recommend this for elementary libraries.