The Runaway Egg

December 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-When Mama Hen leaves the coop, she puts Chick in charge of keeping his baby brother (an egg) safe. But Chick finds his sibling dull, and after some staring and some listening, he decides to take a nap. This is the opportune time for the egg to hatch (some legs, at least) and take off on a dangerous journey through the barnyard. Through the pigsty, over the sheep shearing, and right into the dangerous bull pen the half-hatched sibling goes-with Chick hot on his tail! Chick ultimately saves his little brother, and when the egg hatches, it's clear to Chick what life will be like with a younger sibling around. This story and illustrations, while sweet and simple, are nothing special in the sea of older sibling and new baby titles available. There's no added depth, hidden gags, or even a sense of real peril to give this selection more to offer. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries looking to beef up their sibling or baby collections.-Shana Morales, Windsor Public Library, CT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2016
Taking care of a younger sibling is a challenge for Chick, especially when the sibling is still in his egg. Watching his unhatched baby brother is so boring that Chick falls fast asleep just as things are about to get interesting. A CRACK is the first sign that baby brother is about to be born; two orange legs poking out the bottom of the egg are the second and third. Once baby brother has legs, he is off like a shot. Chick chases his charge through the farmyard, through the pigsty, and on to the shearing barn (where a close encounter with scissors is nearly the end of this babysitter!). Just when things could not get any more treacherous, the legs and egg run right into a sleeping bull. Droll watercolor-and-ink illustrations bring Chick to life for young listeners, who will quickly identify with both chicks, depending on birth order. Deft and subtle brush strokes show Chicks emotional state as he cycles from boredom and frustration to worry and terror to, finally, blessed relief. Children will grimace along with the little chick stuck in the pigs muck and chuckle when a carefully placed speech bubble screams Hey! Thats my bottom! when Chick nearly gets snipped in the shearing barn. Finally, everyone can take a deep breath when Chick and his nearly hatched brother make it back to the coop just in the nick of time. Being an older sibling has never been this harrowingand hilarious. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2018
Chick is not pleased about babysitting the egg containing his brother-to-be. Nevertheless, when feet crack through and the egg dashes away, Chick chases it around the farm and saves his delicate little bro from a large, grumpy bull. Hudson's painterly illustrations make the most of the suspense and the comedy in this amusing twist on the initiation-to-big-brotherhood story.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)