The Boy and the Egg

by Ellen DeLange, Martina Heiduczec (Illustrator)

A boy discovers an egg and wonders what is inside. Could it be a turtle? A dinosaur? A new pet?

Filled with humor and wonder this imaginative picture book is for nature lovers big and small.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story about a boy who finds an egg and takes care of it until the egg hatches.
The pictures are adorable. You can tell straightaway that the boy is curious, imaginative and a great nature-lover. I love the way his first thoughts are about how to protect the egg. He does not know anything about eggs, so he heads to the library and reads up on the subject. Then he rushes home to keep it warm and safe. The boy is obviously very excited about his new future friend. He keeps imagining wild animals and all the great things they are going to do together. When a little gosling comes out, at first, the boy is a bit disappointed- he had such huge expectations, but, gradually, he realizes it may be the best thing ever that happened to him. The wild animals he had imagined would want to run away or might even bite his schoolmates, while the gosling will be his friend forever. At this point, I must add that it would be great to read something about how the gosling would benefit from their friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, I was really enjoying this book. The pictures are really cute, and the boy's musings on what might be inside the egg are creative. But then... he starts to get kind of selfish. I suspected we might have a problem when he hoped it would be a crocodile because he "always wanted to train a wild animal to do tricks". Then I realized that the boy isn't just a caring little guy who wants to take care of an abandoned egg because it's the right thing to do. The things he thinks about that might be in the egg always have to benefit him. Ostrich? He could ride it to school. Dinosaur? He could impress his friends. When it turns out to be a gosling, he's disappointed... before he realizes that he can use this poor little creature for his own gain. He can swim with it and teach it to do tricks, and it will follow him everywhere! Then the kid has the gall to say they will be friends forever. I really don't like how this potential friendship is portrayed as a one-way street; the poor gosling is just going to end up being a status-symbol accessory. The book never points out that this is a problematic way to view and treat animals. (They're not just here for our benefit!)

So that aspect of the book was really disappointing because the illustrations are really nice. With different text, I probably could've rated this book higher. I don't have a problem with the boy thinking about what could be in the egg; what turned me off was how he would then think about how those potential hatchlings could benefit him.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis for providing a digital ARC.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and fun story about acceptance and tolerance. There is humor but also a good message and all of it is well illustrated. Good job!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book about imagination.

A boy finds an egg, goes to the library to find what kind of egg it might be, and takes care of it. he keeps it warm and dry and wonders what is inside. One of the things he thinks of is it might be a dinosaur. Or could it be an emu. Or a chameleon.





Although, he thinks perhaps of all the things it could be, a dinosaur might not be such a good idea as it would bite him.

A cute story of imagination and responsibility. Lovely pictures.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Prin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is superb. The cute and charming illustrations perfectly capture a child’s wild imagination. It’s the perfect bedtime story. It teaches kids how to care for other living things. It is also a great introduction to young ones on how to manage expectations and differentiate fantastical adventures from reality. Real life is not that bad, after all. You just have to recognize all the beautiful and wonderful things around us. Will definitely share this to my son.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book that give children the nudge they need to explore and dream and investigate for themselves. The illustrations are gorgeous and full of the kid of detail that will keep kids interested and make this a household favorite in no time.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable, simple, little book! “The Boy and the Egg” is a sweet tale of the different animals or birds that could be hatched from within an egg that small children might find, from turtles to dinosaurs.

Told from the child’s viewpoint, it is beautifully and vibrantly illustrated using different animals throughout the story. Focusing on children’s expectations and their own investigations, there is also a discussion question at the end of the book.

[Thank you to #NetGalley, #ClavisPublishing and #EllenDeLange, for a free ARC of #TheBoyAndTheEgg in exchange for an honest review.]

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was too cute! The Boy and the Egg is a short, adorable read with precious whimsical illustrations! I will be honest and say that I chose this book based on the illustration style alone. But the story ended up being just as whimsical and sweet. With bright colors, an engaging storyline, and child-like curiosity, this story will engage even the squirmiest of little ones! I highly recommend this, and will likely grab a hardcopy as soon as it's available!


FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[mrsboomreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight! When the boy finds an egg, he uses his powers of observation, critical thinking and imagination to decide how to best care for her treasure. When the egg hatches and doesn't quite live up to his wild imaginings, he dampens his disappointment with all of the ways he and the hatchling will become great friends. The illustrations are a beautiful and integral part of the storytelling. I will be ordering the print version of this book for our family library.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Boy and the Egg' by Ellen Delange with illustrations by Martina Heiduczec is the story of a boy with a big imagination who finds an egg.

A boy outside playing finds an egg. He can't find a nest, so he takes it home. He starts imagining what will come out of the egg when it hatches. His imagination dreams up bigger and bigger creatures. When the egg finally hatches, what will come out?

I enjoyed this picture book, but mainly for the really great illustrations. The story is fine, but I don't think the idea of finding an egg and bringing it home to hatch is a good lesson to emulate. It's still a fun picture book though.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Clavis Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[BlackhamBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grabbed this at a library sale for the Little Free Library. It was cute enough. I remember a children's chapter book The Enormous Egg ... in that one, it WAS a dinosaur. Here, the boy's imaginings, and the matching illustrations, were very creative. In the end (spoiler?) it's a gosling (recent read Mother Bruce also had goslings ... as has our family!) I thought it was cute how the boy adjusted some expectations and desires to match what he actually had in hand.

I do wonder what bird lovers/professionals would say about picking up an egg, attempting to hatch it, raise it, yourself ... they would likely say to leave it where it was (was it really abandoned or did he take it away from the mother?)

[Bookish Devil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mini Review:
As the title suggests, the boy and the Egg' is a simple but a cute tale about an inquisitive little boy who comes across an egg. The unattended egg sparks the boy's curiosity and he finds himself questioning about the existence of it. After carefully inspecting it, the boy decides to keep it with himself citing safety issues. His thoughts resonate about the possibilities of a living creature hatching from it. Since he has no idea about the origin of the egg, his imaginations run wild as he keeps guessing and fantasizing about it. The illustrations were vibrant and the boy's facial expressions were adorable. I'm very sure that the kids would find this book to be very appealing.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant and engaging read for the young, with good morals. A lad finds an egg and goes to the library to learn about caring for them. He has all kinds of fantasies about what might come out of it when it hatches – but is initially disappointed. Can he overcome his over-high expectations and live with the reality? Well, you'll have to find out – certainly the target audience will enjoy doing so, for they'll like the invention and the design, as the illustrations are strong and the story is certainly free of all clutter. A strong four stars for this success.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad story! I liked that the boy seems to have visited a library to look at books about eggs. I think kids will enjoy guessing what kind of animal or bird will hatch out of the egg. The boy has a great imagination! I actually guess wrong! That's what I get for not thinking outside the box! I liked the illustrations; very nicely done!

I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a slightly awkward boy and his desire to live as he wishes. This book fills a bit of a void. Often books dealing with emotions show female protagonists. So, I appreciate the way this book shows a boy in emotional moments. The text is good and the illustrations wonderful. I already have this book on my list to buy for friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy for an honest review.

[Novel Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

When finding a seemingly abandoned egg, the young boy imagines all of the possibilities for what may lie within. The text is short and suitable for preschool ages. The illustrations are adorable and add to the story. There could have been more of a story arc for the book, but overall it is a pleasant picture book for some of our youngest book lovers.

Disclaimer: A copy was provided by Clavis Publishing.

[B.A. Malisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork in this picture book is absolutely gorgeous! I am so charmed by it. The story is fun and uses a lot of prediction, which could be fun when reading with children. It also mildly deals with the issue of expectations, and how you feel when your expectations aren’t met. Overall, I enjoyed this one. It’s short, sweet, and gets right to the point.

[Nati_Bookist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical illustrations and an engaging writing make The Boy and the Egg an charming read for kids and adults alike. A wonderful balance between imagination & research, DeLange has crafted a delightful book about a child who finds an egg while out exploring and is determined to figure out its contents.

[Paul Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

In what looks like a European town, a boy finds an egg and takes it home, wondering what will come out of it. It ends up being nothing he could have imagined.
Cute story, with a good twist. Nicely drawn, though nothing here really stands out.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the cover of this book. It's so fun. It immediately made me want to read it. The illustrations are great. The text flows well and isn't too long. A great read.

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Spectacular illustrations.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

The unlimited potential in a boy's imagination of what might lie in the egg he finds.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic predictable tale of a boy hatching an egg, dreaming of what it will be, surprised at the result. However, the ending is a bit abrupt.

[Viviane Elbee]

A boy finds an egg, which is not in a nest, while out biking. He decides to take it home and care for it until it hatches.

[Kat Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story with beautiful artwork! I loved the message that it sent about not being disappointed when things don't turn out as planned, but felt that it should have also included asking for parental permission as another message considering the subject.

[Joelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little story, great for encouraging lots of interesting activities and discussions in the classroom. The illustrations suit the story well. 3 stars, only because I felt that the story didn't have as much rhythm or build up to the revealing point, compared to similar books for this age group.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! When a boy finds an abandoned egg, he is not sure what to do. He doesn't want to leave it in fear that someone may step on it or animals gets it, so he decides to take it home. The problem is, he doesn't know how to care for it. Suddenly, he knows just what to do!

The illustrations are pleasing and help tell the story. You can see the boy taking notes in his notebook and examining posters on the wall...just like we do in my kindergarten classroom. This would be a fantastic book to read to littles when you are studying which animals come from eggs (not only birds!!) as well as the importance of books and having the library as a resource.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy finds an egg and he takes it home so that he can keep it safe. He reads lots of books about animals that are born from a shell. Wonder what kind of animal it will be.

[Candice Lally · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adorable and cute story about a boy finding an egg and imagining all the possible animals it could hatch into. It was an great story right up to the last page where it pretty much ends abruptly and not the best. I was hoping for more of a memorable ending to a sweet story but it fell short for me there. The illustrations are beautiful and the story endearing (up till the ending).

[***Book Lady *** · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story with beautifully done illustrations. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait to find out what would hatch from the egg the little boy found. I liked that the first thing he did was go to the library to find out what an egg needed to hatch, and then hurried home to keep it warm. He was wondering and imagining too what the egg would hold. The only thing that disappointed me was that he wasn't thrilled with whatever the egg hatched, and kind off missed the wonder of an egg hatching at all. I would highly recommend this book for the imagination it portrayed!