The Little Old Man, the Little Old Woman, and the Little Red Hen

by David Roper

The little red hen is so proud.

Every day she lays an egg for the little old couple's breakfast. And every day, they share her tasty egg.

But when the little old man and the little old man decide to have something else besides eggs for breakfast, the little red hen falls apart.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2016

Reviews

[Victor]

kinda sad

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the art, especially of the hen and the household furnishings. I don't follow the premise of the story, though. Why not have the normal half an egg as usual, *and* half a cinnamon roll, or half a bagel? How could half an egg ever been enough? Still, less analytical children can find a lot to enjoy in this story.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single day, the little red hen proudly provides the little old man and little old woman of the house with an egg. Always prepared in a different way, the eggs from the red hen make for a delicious breakfast. The couple thank the hen each day for her eggs. One week arrives, however, where the couple have things for breakfast which do not include eggs, such as cereal and toast. When the old man exclaims that it is the best breakfast he’d ever eaten, the hen grows sad and depressed. Her feathers fall out and she becomes weak. Panicked, the couple nurse their beloved red hen back to health and regret having not eaten her eggs. As the little red hen slowly recovers, she sometimes finds herself unable to lay eggs, but the couple make alternative meals on those days. Regardless of their breakfast choice, however, they are always sure to tell the little red hen how much they adore her eggs.

David L. Roper’s unique tale of a pet’s devotion to its owners brought a tear to my eye. It teaches that, regardless of species, an animal’s pride and spirit are easily broken when it is taken for granted. Although the old couple adored their hen and found many different and exciting ways to serve her daily egg for breakfast, they never showed or told her how very much they love and appreciate her. It was not until she almost died of a broken heart, that the old couple realized how much the little red hen devoted her whole life to them. While it is true that many of us take things for granted, the little old man and the little old woman rejoiced in the fact that they were lucky enough to be given a second chance. From that moment, they wasted not a single day in telling the hen how wonderful her eggs are and how much they appreciate having her in their lives. I enjoyed The Little Old Man, the Little Old Woman, and the Little Red Hen and recommend it to children aged 4-7 years of age, in the hopes that they will learn, at an early age, to always appreciate those around them.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite

[Angi Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so proud to say, this picture book is by my dad (and a brilliant illustrator). In addition to the sweet, funny story of the little red hen who is proud to provide breakfast for her people every day, there is a natural review of days of the week, and a delightfully illustrated array of (American) breakfast food choices. It’s a story of being kind, showing respect for others’ jobs, and taking care of your people (and animals).