Zip It! Priscilla Palmchat and Her Mind-Reading Parrot
Karen Gaskell
language
(Karen Gaskell, Jan. 4, 2015)
“Zip it - Priscilla Palmchat and Her Mind Reading Parrot” is a charming, one of a kind comical children's book about an 8-year-old only child who is thrilled beyond belief when her parent’s let her have a talking pet. But it didn’t take long for an alarmed Priscilla to catch on to the fact that her previously named parrot, “Telly,” was in fact short for his telepathic powers. “Telly you’re repeating what I think not what I say!!!” an alarmed Priscilla shouts out to what is turning out to be a freakish feathered friend. Priscilla fears, with good reason that Telly might blurt out her deepest, private thoughts at the most inopportune moments. For example, During Show and Tell, Mrs. Finch tells Priscilla that her parrot is a “fine pet, just fine.” “I wish you would have thought my math test was just fine, you said I was on a slippery slope,” Priscilla’s thinking voice says. Telly blurts out Priscilla’s thoughts. “What did your parrot just say young lady asks a bewildered and fuming Mrs. Finch. “Well, um, Telly needs a bath and rest. And, I’ll need a towel so he doesn’t get nippy. And ah, I have to use plenty of soap.” Mrs. Finch doesn’t buy it. “Let’s move on” she tells the class. Priscilla places her hands over her face in the lunchroom, when after her thinking voice says Henry is so cute, Telly announces “Henry’s so cute, so cute.” Luckily the loud noise in the room muted Telly’s unwelcome comments. “You’re one lucky bird Telly, one lucky bird! “You’re turning my life into a social nightmare!” A frantic Priscilla warns Telly! When the “No Returns” Pet Store refuses to take Telly back, Priscilla rushes him to a vet, named Dr. Flock. When he asks her what the trouble is, Priscilla’s thinking voice says “He’s sick in the head.” Telly quickly chimes and says “sick in the head, sick in the head.” “My goodness what a talkative parrot you have,” notes Dr. Flock. “It sounds as though he can even diagnose his own dilemma!” Sadly, Dr. Flock says there’s nothing he can do to curb Telly’s mind-reading ability. It’s an inherited condition, known as Restrum (beak) Repetitive Syndrome or RRS for short, he explains. Priscilla is down in the dumps and says she would turn to a plan C if only she had one. Sitting a park contemplating her options with Telly, a school friend stops by and shares some hopeful news that may turn out to be the perfect solution Priscilla’s dilemma. “A new parrot zoo is opening nearby,” says Taylor. Priscilla could visit Telly whenever she desires and get the little golden retriever pup she had her eye before meeting Telly. A few days later Priscilla gets a brief scare when she, her best friend Elin and her new pup Tayce (that’s French for silence) stop by the parrot zoo. But everything works out wonderfully in the end.
