An Extraordinary Egg

by Leo Lionni

Overview

This egg-splosive tale of mistaken identity from Caldecott winner Leo Lionni is perfect for springtime reading and frog fans everywhere!

For three frogs, an ordinary day on Pebble Island becomes extraordinary when one of them discovers a beautiful white egg. Although they've never seen a chicken egg, they're sure that's what this is. So, when the egg hatches and out crawls a long, green, scaly, four-legged creature, they naturally call it . . . a chicken!

Leo Lionni's colorful animal fable—one of his simplest and funniest—features a hilarious case of mistaken identity that's an utter delight.


"An eggstraordinary treat from a master storyteller."—SLJ

"Just the thing to lighten up a picture-book hour."—Kirkus

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780679858409
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/22/1994
Edition description:	20th ed.
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.06(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.36(d)
Lexile:	620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators’ Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity, and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as “a master of the simple fable” by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.

Editorial Reviews

Jessica the frog discovers an egg, which her frog friend Marilyn identifies as a chicken egg. A baby alligator hatches out, but the frogs continue to call it a chicken. When Jessica helps the "little chicken" find his mother, she's amused when the mother calls him "my sweet little alligator." It's not much of a story, but preschoolers who are old enough to know their alligators from their chickens will enjoy being in on the joke. Lionni's collages of cut papers, shaded with crayons or oil pastels, make distinctive double-page spreads that show up well at a distance, and the text is clearly written. A mildly appealing animal tale for Lionni fans.

Carolyn Phelan

"An eggs-traordinary treat from a master storyteller." —School Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Just the thing to lighten up a picture-book hour." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"Kids will giggle at the frogs' repeated references to the friendly newborn as ‘the chicken.' They'll be even more tickled when the frogs chuckle at the ‘mother chicken' who, finally reunited with her offspring, greets her ‘sweet little alligator' . . . In his 40th book, Lionni is in typically fine form." —Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher