Egg: 04/13/17

Egg by Kevin Henkes continues my year of the bird. I didn't set out to read so many books about birds, but that's how the year seems to be unfolding.

Egg is the story of four eggs, waiting to hatch. There's a blue one, a yellow one, a pink one, and a green one. They are rendered as simple shapes, done in solid pastels. The pages are divided in four, an egg in each box.

Like a flip book laid out end to end, the early part of the book shows all the eggs beginning to hatch. All, except for the green one. Out pops a yellow bird, a blue bird, a pink bird. But not a green bird.

With artistic license — as some birds may hatch knowing how to feed themselves — and some birds may fledge in as little as two weeks — but no bird can fly within minutes (seconds?) of hatching.

The green egg, though, is not abandoned. I suppose this is the avian version of ohana. They come back and wait to see what hatches. The anticipation here is one that's good for small children. Like the old song "One of these is not like the other", the green egg contains something — someone — different.

The second lesson of this book is family is who you make it. Or friends can be different. Before the book gives the birds' solution to the problem, stop and ask your child/children what they think the birds should do?

It's a happy ending for everyone involved.

Four stars

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