Silver Linings

“[Pip and Parker] are best pals who love doing stuff together . . . Pip gets upset when even small mishaps occur and she doesn’t know what to do. Parker always sees the upsides—the ‘silver linings’—of worrisome situations and dreams up happy solutions. . . . And so it goes until a messy mishap occurs to Parker. Can Pip discover the silver lining this time? The bright side is . . . she can and does—sweetly, ingeniously, and wordlessly. . . . A gentle lesson that being optimistic brings rewards, as does having a very good friend.”  — Kirkus Reviews “Play[ing] the afternoon away, Parker finds a way to turn around one disappointing situation after another. . . . When Parker becomes upset over ruined drawings, Pip gets the chance to cheer up her friend for a change. Woodcock’s soft color palette illustrates the friendship with gentleness . . . Encourages readers to find hope when things don’t go to plan, and reminds them that a good friend makes things better, even when they don’t know what to say. . . . A warm story of friendship and a tender addition to SEL shelves.” — School Library Journal “It’s lucky that Pip has such a good friend in Parker, who’s always there to pick her back up when she feels down. . . . But what can Pip do when Parker spills his cup all over their artwork? She, of course, cheers him up . . . Wonderfully detailed and warmly inviting; soft, colored pencil sketching and dappled, hazy watercolors in cheerful hues echo Parker’s skillfulness at comfort and reassurance.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Pip and Parker are best friends, though they possess different outlooks on life. Where Pip is easily discouraged, Parker sees the positive in the situation. . . . Later, an accident that leaves even Parker at a loss for the silver lining gives Pip the chance to return the favor, and she finds a way to make her best friend feel better. The sweet story lets both friends shine, and young readers are sure to relate to both attitudes. . . . A soothing study of the joy in buoying friendships and the importance of perspective.” — Booklist “Best friends Pip . . . [and Parker] are so close that ‘sometimes they don’t even need to speak.’ But when words are necessary, Parker has a gift for seeing any situation’s bright side—the silver lining—and bringing the friends together. . . . A book about mutual appreciation and support in which both characters model loving-kindness, confidence, and resilience in their own way.” — Publishers Weekly “Pip is usually spiraling downward from a problem, while Parker helps her find a better way forward with an imaginative solution. . . . In the end, an accidental spill ruins their artwork and threatens to dash Parker’s resilient spirit, but Pip wordlessly and naturally slips into the optimist’s role, comforting her friend and spinning the mishap into a new possibility . . . The easy role exchange of supporter and supported between these two provides a tender example for growing friendships.” — Horn Book Magazine