Trouble Finds Plum!

by Matt Phelan, Maxwell Glick (Read by)

Overview

When raccoons invade the Athensville Zoo, it’s up to Plum and his friends to save their beloved home. From award-winning author-artist Matt Phelan, creator of Knights vs. Dinosaurs and its two sequels, Trouble Finds Plum! is the third book about a young peacock whose adventures are funny, hopeful, and always kindhearted. A hilarious novel perfect for reluctant readers and animal lovers everywhere.

When Plum the peacock stumbles across a raccoon asking for help finding food on a gloomy day at the zoo, he is delighted to assist his new friend. But Scratch the raccoon doesn’t stop there. More and more of Scratch’s friends arrive, and soon the zoo is overrun by rowdy and rude raccoons. Though trouble might have found Plum, Plum has a plan to save the Athensville Zoo—and make a few new friends at the same time.

Award-winning author Matt Phelan has elementary school readers at the heart of each book in the Plum series. These young middle grade novels have short chapters and each book tackles an emotional theme relevant and accessible to the audience. Full of heart and humor, Trouble Finds Plum! is the third novel about bighearted Plum the peacock and his adventures at the Athensville Zoo. The Plum books are ideal for fans of the Princess in Black and Mercy Watson series. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212698276
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/10/2023
Series:	Plum! , #3
Product dimensions:	5.85(w) x 5.60(h) x 0.34(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Matt Phelan is the author and illustrator of the novels The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck; Knights vs. Dinosaurs; Knights vs. Monsters; and Knights vs. the End (of Everything); and the picture books Sweater Weather, Turtle Walk, Pignic, and Druthers. He is also the creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn (winner of a Scott O’Dell Award); Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. Matt Phelan lives in Pennsylvania. 

Maxwell Glick is an actor based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on television in guest roles in numerous shows such as The Office and
Castle. He also has voiced numerous commercials, audiobooks, and cartoons. Originally a regional theater actor,
Glick has played Arpad in She Loves Me,
Matt in The Fantasticks, and Eugene in Brighton Beach Memoirs. A New York native, he is a graduate of Boston College.

Editorial Reviews

A peacock’s kindheartedness and cleverness prove immune to cynicism. Undaunted by rain, peppy Plum is the only zoo inhabitant around when a bedraggled raccoon shows up. . . . Power makes the raccoons hungry for more, and their rudeness becomes bullying. But with help from Itch the ningbing, Jeremy the cat, and, naturally, Plum, ‘brains and heart’ eventually save the day. . . . Expert plot and character development take this latest in the series up a notch.” — Kirkus Reviews

“When Scratch, a bossy, greedy raccoon, and his gang invade the zoo . . . the subsequent chaos disrupts what had been a bucolic home. Plum and his friends—including a domestic cat named Jeremy, a ningbing named Itch, a family of chipmunks, and a bear who lives in the nearby woods—work together to solve the problem. . . . Plum accomplishes his goal by working with others; Scratch realizes that family can be made from those who care about you, even if they are not the same species; and all the zoo animals learn about leadership and problem-solving.” — Horn Book Magazine

“Plucky peacock Plum is back with another entertaining installment that has him facing his highest-stakes situation yet. . . . Plum is thrilled by an unexpected visit from a raccoon named Scratch. Though Plum hopes to make a new friend, it’s clear that the nefarious mammal means to take over the zoo. . . . It’s a delight to drop back into this wacky zoo world and become reacquainted with the comical cast of critters. . . . The brisk pace, witty wisecracks, and humorous illustrations easily retain attention, and Plum’s eternal optimism and perpetual enthusiasm are contagious.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

2023-08-26
A peacock’s kindheartedness and cleverness prove immune to cynicism.

Undaunted by rain, peppy Plum is the only zoo inhabitant around when a bedraggled raccoon shows up. Plum’s ordered to bring food—pronto. All that he can find is a snack bar that a visitor dropped in the tiger pit, and he cleverly obtains it for the raccoon. Despite others’ doubts that the raccoon is really Plum’s friend, the trusting bird just wants to help. Then more raccoons show up, and Plum seeks help. Peahen Meg scorns raccoons as “scavengers and thieves” and gives them a dressing-down, but that doesn’t dissuade the interlopers. Text and illustrations make clear that the peacocks are at a disadvantage, both in terms of size and number. Power makes the raccoons hungry for more, and their rudeness becomes bullying. But with help from Itch the ningbing, Jeremy the cat, and, naturally, Plum, “brains and heart” eventually save the day. A couple of wordless stretches of sketches provide a visual break, but many smaller vignettes add to the drama of the story and bolster the characterization (and add evidence that not all raccoons are alike). Pacing is smooth, and the plot moves smartly. Like other series installments, this tale demands and develops a certain level of reader sophistication to see through the sarcasm, assumptions, and bluster.

Expert plot and character development take this latest in the series up a notch. (Chapter book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews