The Most Wonderful Egg in the World

by Helme Heine

Dotty had the most beautiful feathers. Stalky had the most beautiful legs. And Plumy had the most beautiful crest. But which of them was the most beautiful?

The three hens went to the king. "Whichever one of you lays the most wonderful egg I will make a princess," he proclaimed. And so the contest began...

Helme Heine's rollicking tale is sure to enchant children and adults alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Birds, Fiction, Fantasy, Animals

26 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Helme Heine was a best-selling German writer, children's book author, illustrator and designer. He lived in New Zealand, writing screenplays, audiobook scripts and creating satirical drawings and sculptures.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes an egg wonderful? Is it one that is most perfect? Most large? Most fantastic?
How do you choose which is your favorite child? The one who can dance? The one who is a good speller? The one who gives the most hugs?

Illustrations seem sketchy, but look closer. Look at the expressions on the king's face. Look at how tall his dining chair is. Look at the signpost to his castle. Look at the picture of dozens of hens and see how each is an individual. Look at how the princess crown is created.

Yes, I do recommend this fable to everyone. And yes, I will look for more by the author.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have actually seen this story through a children’s video series called “Weston Woods” and I have enjoyed this story ever since! “The Most Wonderful Egg in the World” is a children’s book by Helme Heine that is about how three hens – Dotty, Stalky and Plumy – all wanted to prove to each other about who is the most beautiful hen in the kingdom and the results are truly unexpected and creative! “The Most Wonderful Egg in the World” is definitely one children’s book that will stand the test of time for years!

A long time ago, there were three hens named Dotty, who had the most beautiful feathers, Stalky, who had the most beautiful legs and Plumy, who had the most beautiful crest, and they all started arguing about which one of them was the most beautiful in the kingdom. So, they decided to bring this issue to the king and the king suggested that whichever one of them lays the most beautiful egg will be the princess of the kingdom. So when the day came for the contest, all three hens started to lay their eggs.

After all of these years, this story still remains to be on my favorite stories shelf ever since I was a child. Helme Heine has done an excellent job at both illustrating and writing this cute tale about the importance of being unique. Helme Heine’s writing is cute and I loved the scenes of the three hens having a contest on who can produce the most beautiful egg and each egg that each of the hens laid were extremely unique and my favorite moment during this contest was when Plumy laid her egg (of course, I will not tell you what kind of egg she laid since that might spoil the book for you) and the result was surprising and hilarious! I also loved the theme of this book as it details that each of the three hens are special in their own way and it shows when they are all laying their eggs and each of their eggs are different from each other. Helme Heine’s illustrations are extremely cute and beautiful and I loved the way that the hens are drawn to have round bodies and small black dotted eyes which make them look extremely adorable. I especially loved the way that Dotty the Hen looked as she has red spots covering her round body and the spots make her look extremely cute.

Overall, “The Most Wonderful Egg in the World” is a truly cute and creative book for children who love reading about hens and being unique and this book will definitely be a favorite among children for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing offensive in this book and the writing is simple for smaller children to read.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Most Wonderful Egg in the World by Helme Heine isn't a picture book I would have picked for myself. My son though raved about it for a month, having read it in school. As I have an open reading policy, meaning I will read whatever my children recommend to me, I checked out a copy to read together at home.

The king has three extraordinary egg laying hens. He decides to hold a contest. The hen who lays the best egg will become a princess. Dotty, Stalky and Plumy each lay magnificent eggs. They are so wonderful the king can't decide.

Being king, though, he doesn't have to decide. That's what Sean loves best about the book. Rather than picking a single winner when each one does such an extraordinary job, the king makes them all princesses. Sean loves the fairness of the solution.

Harriet sat in with the second reading of the book and liked the fact that there were princesses in it. But she thought that making chickens into princesses was "very silly."

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a funny little book!

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that my first reaction after reading this was...really? That's all there is? It's okay the way it is, with an interesting surprise, but it just seems like the last half of the book is missing. But I do love Plumy's crest.

Upon my second reading, I noticed something I had missed before. When the king makes the chickens princesses, he uses yellow-gold paint to color their crests like crowns. That cracked me up, and it completely escaped me the first time through. It definitely makes the ending stronger.

I read this to PreK today along with two other books about eggs. One little boy sitting right in front of me really liked this one. After we finished he said, "That was so funny it made me laugh spitting!"

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not one of my favorite books by Heine. Three hens who could not decide which one of them is the most beautiful present their problem to the king. He proclaims that whichever one lays the most wonderful egg will be made a princess. The first 2 hens lay big, beautiful white eggs, but the third lays a square egg of different colors. You'd think that would clinch it, but the king wimps out and makes them all princesses--a weak ending. I must admit, I do like his illustrations of chickens. Kids will probably like this.

[Cammie Thurston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Most Wonderful Egg in the World is a story about three hens who argue about who is the prettiest hen. The hens go to the king to settle their argument. The king tells them that it is more important about the egg that they can lay. So each hen tries to lay a more prefect egg. One of the hens laid an egg that was colorful and shaped in a square. All of the hens were made princesses because of the amazing eggs they laid. This was another one of my favorite books as a child. I remember liking this book so much because the hens were not like normal hens, they looked a little funny and laid eggs that were funny. I would have this book in my library if I taught first or second grade. I think children would enjoy reading this book because it lets their imagination run wild and tells a funny story about hens.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tässä mielenkiintoisessa kuvakirjassa kolme kanaa kilpailevat siitä, kuka on kaikista kaunein. Yhteistuumin asiaa ei päätetä, joten kanat marssivat kuninkaan luo. Kuningas vaalii sisäistä kauneutta ja ilmoittaa, että kaunein kana munii luonnollisesti kauneimman munan.

Tämä päätelmä huvitti ja viehätti minua juuri sillä lapsille omintakeisella ajattelutyylillä.

[Megan Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most wonderful book in the world...

And all the hens nodded 💛

One of my first memories is of my mom reading this to me

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical chicken book!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird, but funny.

[Lea Beall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are hilarious. It is worth reading just to glimpse the details in the picture's backgrounds and to marvel over how much expression the artist can develop on more than 20 chickens at once!Don't forget to notice what the king is eating at his banquet, to look at the thought bubbles above the chickens and the paintings on the wall. I'll let you enjoy discovering the rest of the details in the drawings yourself. You will enjoy it.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three hens argued over who was the most beautiful, but they each were beautiful in different ways so they asked the king to choose. The king said whoever laid the most wonderful egg is the one he would make a princess.
Each hen laid the most amazing and unusual egg. The king had to make a decision.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story that shows children that everyone is beautiful just the way they are in a non-sentimental way. In this story, three hens, each with a special quality--one with pretty feathers, one with a pretty crest, and one with long legs--argue over which of them is the most beautiful. They take it to the king, and the king says that whichever of them can lay the most beautiful egg will be made into a princess. Each of the hens lays very different eggs from each other, and the king has a very difficult decision to make. Read it to see who lays the most wonderful egg!

I told this story in Spanish using props that the library purchased (not sure from where) for a chicken/chick/rooster-themed story time program. I told it in English for the bilingual program. The kids and parents really enjoyed this story.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to show the filmstrip years ago for Story Time, but figured I might as well read the book now that the filmstrips have gone by the wayside.

3 hens argue about who is the most beautiful. When they take their disagreement to the King he says, "What you can do is more important than what you look like". So the 3 see which can lay the most wonderful egg. Dotty lays a perfect egg. Stalky lays the biggest egg, & Plumy lays the most fantastic egg. Since it was impossible to say which egg was the most wonderful the King makes all 3 princesses.

[Owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Geschichte und besonders die Illustrationen kam sehr gut bei den Kurzen an. Bewaffnet man sich dann noch mit entsprechenden Eiern (bzw. Schokowürfeln) sind leuchtende Augen garantiert :) Ich hatte erst Bedenken, dass die Geschichte vielleicht etwas zu kurz bzw. für die Vorschulkinder vielleicht schon zu anspruchslos ist, aber die Begeisterung zerstreute diese Bedenken sehr schnell. Dank der Eier, um die es - auch - geht, natürlich auch hervorragend für die Zeit vor und um Ostern geeignet.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good fairy tale for younger readers. The three hens and their eggs are all a nice build up to revealing moment when we discover that all of us are important in our own particular way. We simply need to stop trying to outdo each other and be the best version of ourselves. Good lesson to learn.

[Brenna Nikalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a couple of decades since I read this, but as an adolescent I read it to my siblings who loved it. I made paper puppets of the characters and eggs, pasted to popsicle sticks and put on a production for them and other young cousins. Now I'm ordering a copy for my own kids.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an okay book about a king who promises some chickens that he will make one a princess if it lays the most wonderful egg in the world. It's neat to see the kind of eggs the chickens come up with.

Illustrations are okay - nothing too great.

[Mips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nederlandse titel "Het allermooiste ei"

[Hanne Govaerts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik weet ook niet wie het mooiste ei legde!
Heel mooi en grappig boek!

[Ruth Govaerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een vierkant ei, een gestippeld ei, een driehoekig ei... Welk ei is het mooiste volgens jou?

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute most favorite kid's book. not too transparent, but perfect moral for a comparison-based world.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooooooooooooooo funny! I just got chickens, so am reading chicken books.

[Alice Gold · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about three chicken's competing to make the best egg for the king: thus explaining the two star rating.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 44053 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.4 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give this book 2.5 stars. The kids were fairly uninterested until we get to the square egg. They think that's pretty silly.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I cute book about eggs a king and the most wonderful egg...shouldn't an egg be egg shaped?

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We watched this on a DVD that included five children's stories about birds. My son enjoyed the different eggs that the chicken laid.

[Debra Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! whimsical with everyone being a winner and lots of happy nonsense. The illustrations are charming, funny, and inviting. I'm gonna paint some birds inspired by these characters.