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The Golden Egg Book
Margaret Wise Brown's (author of Goodnight, Moon) timeless Easter tale is now available as a Little Golden Storybook. Perfect for any Easter basket, or great as a gift, all on its own.
28 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
13 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
397 books1,226 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
January 1, 2019
A rabbit finds an egg and hears noises coming from within. He wonders what is inside and waits and waits to find out. The duckling does break free, but the rabbit is asleep. The duck and rabbit become friends.
A sweet story for beginners. I like the art and it’s a cute story for the young ones. I also like Margaret’s work as well. The nephew chose this from the little golden bookshelf to read. He gave it 4 stars. He likes bunnies. It was short and sweet.
A sweet story for beginners. I like the art and it’s a cute story for the young ones. I also like Margaret’s work as well. The nephew chose this from the little golden bookshelf to read. He gave it 4 stars. He likes bunnies. It was short and sweet.
May 7, 2019
Maybe I am in a curmudgeonly mood this morning, but I honestly have been more than a trifle disappointed with Margaret Wise Brown's 1947 The Golden Egg Book. Yes, Leonard Weisgard's accompanying illustrations indeed (and of course like usual for him) are absolutely darling (especially the little bunny and later the fluffy yellow duckling that emerges from the egg, but actually, my favourite picture aesthetics and art expression wise is the cover image, with its colourfully decorated Easter egg, although in my opinion that very cover image could also be considered as somewhat misleading as The Golden Egg Book is not really an Easter egg or Easter Bunny type of story but more a tale of curiosity, of springtime in general and yes friendship). However and as much as I have indeed both appreciated and loved Leon Weisgard's pictures, some of Margaret Wise Brown's narrative as it is presented in The Golden Egg Book kind of bothers me more than a bit, kind of rather rubs me the wrong way. For while I of course understand and appreciate that the little rabbit is curious about its found egg (and that there are sounds coming from it), personally I do find it rather problematic that the bunny shakes the egg, pushes it around, physically jumps on it and even throws nuts and stones at it, all of which I for one consider potentially destructive and as such neither recommendable (nor acceptable) even if the rabbit's behaviour does not in the end have any negative consequences for either the egg or the emerging duckling. And while I guess it might be somewhat funny to an extent that once the duckling has pecked its way out of the egg it kind of does the same things to the sleeping bunny to wake it up as the rabbit had previously done to the egg, I don't know if I would in any way personally call this storyline all that sweet and delightful (as yes, I do kind of find large parts of The Golden Egg Book rather physically harsh at best), not to mention that with the ending of The Golden Egg Book, it really doe feel incredibly ho-hum, babyish and a major textual let-down, almost as though Margaret Wise Brown just kind of has run out of steam.
September 28, 2007
This book, especially its pictures, must be indelibly imprinted upon my unconscious from having had it read to me since infancy. When I saw it again recently, for the first time in X years, my mind regressed into a three-year old's, and I wanted only to sit quietly and stare at the cute lovable sincere innocent playful images for hours. Sober.
May 18, 2012
I don't think this is one of the more widely known books of Brown's but it was the first book I remember in my life, period. The book was physically huge, and although I'm sure my perspective is way off, I know that there is a size much larger than this typical Golden book. Ours was falling apart from having been read so much, held together with yellowing tape.
But it was my favorite book, and I have very fond memories of it. It's a sweet story about a bunny that finds an egg and is curious about it. The art isn't up to today's standards and is quite dated, but the bunny is still adorable and the pictures a riot of colors filling the whole page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who remembers being a curious kid.
But it was my favorite book, and I have very fond memories of it. It's a sweet story about a bunny that finds an egg and is curious about it. The art isn't up to today's standards and is quite dated, but the bunny is still adorable and the pictures a riot of colors filling the whole page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who remembers being a curious kid.
April 26, 2011
3.5 STARS
Gorgeous illustrations! Five-star worthy! However, the story is rather odd--I'm not sure I was an especial fan of all the kicking and throwing rocks at the egg to try to get whatever was in it to come out :-/ And, the ending sounded like something I would have written when I was five. Sometimes I enjoy Margaret Wise Brown's work, sometimes I just don't get it and this was one of the latter. Still, well worth the read for Leonard Weisgard's illustrations!
Gorgeous illustrations! Five-star worthy! However, the story is rather odd--I'm not sure I was an especial fan of all the kicking and throwing rocks at the egg to try to get whatever was in it to come out :-/ And, the ending sounded like something I would have written when I was five. Sometimes I enjoy Margaret Wise Brown's work, sometimes I just don't get it and this was one of the latter. Still, well worth the read for Leonard Weisgard's illustrations!
November 20, 2016
Of course, with Brown and Weisgard, it's not a bad book. And in fact I was thinking four stars until the end, but it kinda just stops, in a manner that I found unsatisfying. I wouldn't be content, as bunny is, to not wonder what happened to the egg. That being said, I love these animal stand-ins for children. The book would be way too saccharine if they didn't kick a bit....
March 30, 2016
the pictures are lovely but the story is inane and the last line "no one was ever alone again" is just awful. Also the duck should say he's from the egg. Pushing and throwing rocks at eggs and sleeping bunnies is not really the most enriching subject matter.
April 7, 2019
A lonely little bunny, happening upon an egg in a field one day, is puzzled by the noises coming from within it. Could there be a little boy inside? Perhaps another bunny? Trying everything he can to break open the egg, the bunny eventually falls asleep. It is only then that the egg hatches, and a tiny duckling emerges. Puzzled by this strange furry being he immediately encounters, the duckling does everything he can to wake the bunny. Eventually he is successful, and the two become fast friends.
Originally published in 1947 as a Little Golden Book, this gentle tale of a lonely bunny and newly hatched duckling who become friends was republished in this larger picture-book format in 2004. The story itself is sweet, with the bunny's curiosity mirrored by the duckling's, and a happy ending in which "no one was ever alone again." The artwork, done by Leonard Weisgard, who often collaborated with author Margaret Wise Brown, is vibrantly colorful, and has a certain stylized charm. Although not explicitly an Easter book - no mention is made of the holiday - I do think The Golden Egg Book would make a good title for those looking for picture-books for this time of year. Of course, it can also be enjoyed at other times of year, and by readers with no connection or involvement with Easter.
Originally published in 1947 as a Little Golden Book, this gentle tale of a lonely bunny and newly hatched duckling who become friends was republished in this larger picture-book format in 2004. The story itself is sweet, with the bunny's curiosity mirrored by the duckling's, and a happy ending in which "no one was ever alone again." The artwork, done by Leonard Weisgard, who often collaborated with author Margaret Wise Brown, is vibrantly colorful, and has a certain stylized charm. Although not explicitly an Easter book - no mention is made of the holiday - I do think The Golden Egg Book would make a good title for those looking for picture-books for this time of year. Of course, it can also be enjoyed at other times of year, and by readers with no connection or involvement with Easter.
May 22, 2023
A bunny finds an eggs and tries various ways to get what's in it to come out.
A duck finds a bunny and tries various ways to wake it up.
This book is all about incredible cuteness overload. My goodness, this is such the perfect children's book - sweet, silly, sentimental. Just the perfect thing to use when you want to spark a child's imagination enough to send them off into sweet dreams. I would have read this book to death with my children at bedtime when they were small.
A duck finds a bunny and tries various ways to wake it up.
This book is all about incredible cuteness overload. My goodness, this is such the perfect children's book - sweet, silly, sentimental. Just the perfect thing to use when you want to spark a child's imagination enough to send them off into sweet dreams. I would have read this book to death with my children at bedtime when they were small.
March 27, 2024
Such a pretty book! I loved picture books as a child and still do!
September 29, 2014
My children loved this book. The illustrations are wonderful, beautifully proportioned and colourful. But the story always bothered me a little and on re-reading it to my grandchildren I find I feel just the same. Though young children have few reservations about being naughty themselves they do maintain a strong sense of right and wrong and the duck pushing the bunny with his foot, jumping on him, throwing a little rock at him and rolling him down a hill provoked a barrage of questions from my 4 year old granddaughter. Of course it only takes the turn of a page for the duck and the bunny to become friends but with a few adjustments this adorably cute book could have been an all-time favourite.
November 18, 2012
Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, this is a charming story that is told about a little bunny who finds an egg and a friend when lonely. He hears something inside of the egg and tries to guess what it is. He tries to get what is inside to come out, but cannot. Finally, he gets tired and falls asleep. With a few pecks and a crack, a little yellow duck comes out. The duck tries to wake the bunny up and once he does, they become friends. This book could be used in a classroom to teach about friendship, or could even be used around Easter (mainly because it is not religious, but has an egg theme).
April 18, 2017
I've been drawn to a lot of old Little Golden Books lately and I'd never heard of this one by Brown (Goodnight Moon author). I love the larger size, the beautiful colors and comforting illustrations. I love thinking and guessing about what's inside the egg. Alistair has picked up on imitating the "pick pick pick" part for hatching noises and I hear him using it in pretend play. Good book for talking about hatching too.
April 3, 2009
I got very nostalgic when I came across this book at Borders the other night, having completely forgotten a) that it existed, and b) that Margaret Wise Brown wrote it. Our copy fell apart from hard and affectionate use, so I suggested my mother buy it for my nephew's fourth birthday which is (suitably) the day before Easter.
April 22, 2019
Another childhood favorite
2019 update: I cannot have Easter without this book for my kids too. It’s a true classic.
2019 update: I cannot have Easter without this book for my kids too. It’s a true classic.
November 6, 2014
I so enjoyed this book when I was a little girl. I remember the illustrations and how they made me smile. I am looking forward to sharing this book with my grandchildren.
Read
April 19, 2022A baby bunny discovers an egg and wonders what could be stirring inside of it. After the bunny falls asleep, a duckling pecks its way out of the egg and wonders about being "alone with a bunny in a big bright world." The tale ends with the bunny and the duckling being unconditional friends.
This Margaret Wise Brown classic from 1947 isn't specifically about Easter, but its themes lend themselves to this time of year. Margaret Wise Brown's language is a magical combination of accessibity and idiosyncracy that captivates children. I know this because our own children were drawn to The Golden Egg Book, begging to have it read to them over and over to the point where one of them took over narrative responsibilities, exclaiming "jumps out a little lello duck" in an approximation of the text on a particularly engrossing page. The Leonard Weisgard illustrations emphasize furriness, fluffiness, and tiny physical actions that are big efforts for baby animals.
Although I don't remember this book from my own childhood, my parents had this book for their grandchildren, and we read it a lot at their house. We just added a copy to our own collection of spring-time picture books. I hadn't read The Golden Egg Book for at least fifteen years, and I feel like I just reconnected with an old friend.
This Margaret Wise Brown classic from 1947 isn't specifically about Easter, but its themes lend themselves to this time of year. Margaret Wise Brown's language is a magical combination of accessibity and idiosyncracy that captivates children. I know this because our own children were drawn to The Golden Egg Book, begging to have it read to them over and over to the point where one of them took over narrative responsibilities, exclaiming "jumps out a little lello duck" in an approximation of the text on a particularly engrossing page. The Leonard Weisgard illustrations emphasize furriness, fluffiness, and tiny physical actions that are big efforts for baby animals.
Although I don't remember this book from my own childhood, my parents had this book for their grandchildren, and we read it a lot at their house. We just added a copy to our own collection of spring-time picture books. I hadn't read The Golden Egg Book for at least fifteen years, and I feel like I just reconnected with an old friend.
February 11, 2019
"Where did you come from?"
"Never mind that, here I am!"
Pretty awesome, actually. Turns out to be a sweet little affirmation of life and tolerance and a moderately subtle rebuke of racism, tribalism, intolerance, etc., whether it was wholly intended to be or not.
eg,kr '19
"Never mind that, here I am!"
Pretty awesome, actually. Turns out to be a sweet little affirmation of life and tolerance and a moderately subtle rebuke of racism, tribalism, intolerance, etc., whether it was wholly intended to be or not.
eg,kr '19
April 18, 2019
A bunny discovers an egg. What could be in it? Bunny falls asleep, egg cracks open. Chick comes out and sees bunny. Bunny wakes up. They are friends. Cute, colorful illustrations
April 15, 2020
In the Easter basket last year, finally read it this year oops. The kid enjoyed it more than I'd anticipated, possibly because of kicking things and throwing rocks.
June 9, 2023
Simpel en kort verhaaltje over vriendschap, met mooie, in ouderwetse stijl getekende, kleurrijke illustraties. Was prima om samen voor te lezen aan mijn kinderen van 1 en 4. Voor oudere kinderen lijkt het me minder geschikt.
November 26, 2018
This sweet story follows a curious bunny that finds an egg. The bunny can hear something inside the egg and tries a bunch of different ways to open the egg because it just cant wait to see what’s inside. When the bunny finally gets tired, he falls asleep next to the egg which then opens when the bunny is asleep! What’s inside the egg is a curious baby chick who doesn’t know what the sleeping bunny is. The chick tried to wake the bunny up with the same methods that the bunny did to the egg and finally the bunny wakes up after being rolled down a hill. When the bunny woke up, he was confused because his egg was gone but that didn’t matter anymore because he had a new friend, the chick. This books theme is about patience and friendship. It teaches children that you never know who or where your friends might come from. I recommend this book for children in kindergarten and first grade because that’s when most children are starting to make friends. I would read this book aloud to students and have them share things that they like about their friends and how their friends are different from themselves.
January 2, 2019
An egg could be a sort of a box. Since the spring Easter holiday would be the weekend following the story time on "boxes" this story was included.
I happen to have a tiny plush bunny exactly the size of the bunny illustrations in this book. I have a plastic egg the size of the egg in this book. I have a plush duck that fits in the egg and is the same size and coloring as the duck in the illustrations. While reading the story I held the book in one hand and held the bunny, egg, or duck over the illustration on each page. This had the effect of bringing the book to life. The children attending story time were enchanted.
Margaret Wise Brown's prose is peppered with questions and sound effects and silly fantasy. For instance, the bunny wonders if the egg contains a little boy, another bunny, an elephant, or a mouse. Children enjoy this silliness and are drawn into the story with these ridiculous speculations.
Leonard Weisgard's soft pastel whimsical illustrations perfectly interpret the story.
After the story we sang "Five Little Ducks".
I happen to have a tiny plush bunny exactly the size of the bunny illustrations in this book. I have a plastic egg the size of the egg in this book. I have a plush duck that fits in the egg and is the same size and coloring as the duck in the illustrations. While reading the story I held the book in one hand and held the bunny, egg, or duck over the illustration on each page. This had the effect of bringing the book to life. The children attending story time were enchanted.
Margaret Wise Brown's prose is peppered with questions and sound effects and silly fantasy. For instance, the bunny wonders if the egg contains a little boy, another bunny, an elephant, or a mouse. Children enjoy this silliness and are drawn into the story with these ridiculous speculations.
Leonard Weisgard's soft pastel whimsical illustrations perfectly interpret the story.
After the story we sang "Five Little Ducks".
April 22, 2013
Somehow we missed reviewing this gem last Easter. I believe it was an Easter gift at least one Easter ago. He loves this book. It is a unique large edition from the Little Golden Books. This larger size really helps as the binding is much better than the other little goldens and the title of the book is visible on the binding (the regular sized goldens do not have the title which is awkward on the bookshelf).
So the Golden Egg is encountered by a little rabbit. The rabbit has not idea what it is. He taps it, rolls it, kicks it. Little does he know that the egg contains his new friend--the little chick. Soon he learns. Great drawings.
So the Golden Egg is encountered by a little rabbit. The rabbit has not idea what it is. He taps it, rolls it, kicks it. Little does he know that the egg contains his new friend--the little chick. Soon he learns. Great drawings.
November 28, 2012
The Golden Egg Book is a charming story about a little bunny who finds an egg and a friend when he is lonely. He hears something inside egg and tries to guess what it is. He tries to get what’s inside to come out but can’t. Finally he gets tired and falls asleep. Then with a few pecks and a crack, a little yellow duck comes out. The duck tries to wake the bunny up and once he does they become friends and the bunny is no longer lonely.
This book could be used in class to teach about friendship or around Easter because it’s not religious and has an egg theme. A teacher could show the class how the bunny and duck are different but become great friends.
This book could be used in class to teach about friendship or around Easter because it’s not religious and has an egg theme. A teacher could show the class how the bunny and duck are different but become great friends.
May 14, 2009
I bought this book, The Golden Egg Book, by Margaret Wise Brown, for my older daughter after having my friend and fellow reader recommend it -- a felicitous purchase. I had no idea what the book was about, but thought the cover looked very Easter-ish. It is a delightful story of a bunny and a new-hatched duck that I hope my older daughter will someday view as a metaphor for the birth of her new baby sister; it is my fervent desire that my two girls will have a deep, abiding, and loving friendship.
September 5, 2011
A small, brown bunny comes across an unidentified egg in the woods. He wonders what could be inside the egg: a little boy, an elephant, another bunny? He can hear sounds coming from the egg and he investigates. The bunny jumps on the egg and rolls it down the hill, but still the egg doesn't hatch. Finally the bunny goes to sleep and when he wakes up he has an unexpected friend...
Children will laugh when the bunny tries to guess what's inside the mystery egg. The Golden Egg Book shows us that curiosity is a good thing and that you can find friends in the ways you least expect.
Children will laugh when the bunny tries to guess what's inside the mystery egg. The Golden Egg Book shows us that curiosity is a good thing and that you can find friends in the ways you least expect.
January 2, 2013
Super-classic story about a bunny who finds an egg. Despite his best efforts, he can't break the egg to find out what's in it. So, he does what any of us would do - he takes a nap! The little duck who hatches out discovers a little rabbit. But despite his best efforts, he cannot wake him up! Until he does, and they are friends forever.
Classic children's illustrations accompany the text in this large format book.
A very cute story, with very old-fashioned illustrations, will appeal to many. Good for a storytime.
Classic children's illustrations accompany the text in this large format book.
A very cute story, with very old-fashioned illustrations, will appeal to many. Good for a storytime.
March 25, 2015
Possibly the sweetest book ever. The illustrations of the bunny trying to get some reaction out of the egg crack me up. This book also makes me insanely sleepy. The little warm snuggly bunny, yawning, and curling up in the sun -- "he fell asleep because he was so sleepy." And then Paul wants to hear it over and over and over again. And my voice gets sleepier and sleepier. And somewhere in the back of my head, I can almost hear my mother's voice reading this book. And it's also getting sleepier and sleepier.
April 10, 2015
Now this is adorable. Written by the author of Goodnight, Moon this is a completely charming tale of a bunny discovering an egg and his wonder about what it contains.
I started reading this to one child but soon all three were paying rapt attention. The illustrations are so like my favorite old Golden Book illustrations that I was quickly won over.
Why isn't this more well-known? Maybe it is and I'm just late to the party. If you haven't read this and you enjoyed Golden books when you were a child, or if you like Margaret Wise Brown's simple storytelling, I think you will enjoy this.
I started reading this to one child but soon all three were paying rapt attention. The illustrations are so like my favorite old Golden Book illustrations that I was quickly won over.
Why isn't this more well-known? Maybe it is and I'm just late to the party. If you haven't read this and you enjoyed Golden books when you were a child, or if you like Margaret Wise Brown's simple storytelling, I think you will enjoy this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews