That Egg Is Mine!

November 8, 2021
Dubois (What Does a Seed Need?) centers a pair of fowl squabbling over a blue egg with white dots in this early reader series launch. Readers may initially side with Cluck, a blue-and-white-spotted hen—after all, the egg sports a pattern very similar to that of her feathers. But yellow Duck, whose polka-dot bill also matches, puts forth a compelling case for “finder’s keepers.” In the story’s most fully rendered section, Duck relates pursuing the egg as it rolls unexpectedly past, makes an improbable two-pointer at a basketball court (“It flew! It thunked! It scored!”), and ends up in a pond of a miniature golf course. The matter is settled when the duo’s argument cracks open the egg, revealing a surprising baby, whose cries of “PQUAK!” summon its real and enormous mother, shown only in shadow. The skitlike plot doesn’t devote much time to establishing distinctive personalities, despite Cluck’s “I told you so” punch line, but readers should find the spare, direct dialogue balloon text reminiscent of their own squabbles: “I believe you are mistaken,” says Duck, accused of nicking the egg; “YOU STOLE IT,” responds Cluck. Ages 3–8.

November 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-Duck finds a blue spotted egg. Cluck has lost an egg matching that exact description. They disagree on who owns the egg and both state their cases, until their argument culminates in a chase that causes the egg to fall and crack. The prehistoric hatchling reveals that the egg, in fact, belongs to a third party, neither duck nor chicken. The animal that hatches from the egg is not identified, but emerging readers will recognize a pterodactyl and may get a kick out of the silent P that begins the spelling of each of the baby's "pquak" sounds. In the end, the rightful mother whisks away the baby. With the exception of a short flashback sequence in which Duck chases the tumbling egg through a few colorful and unexpected scenes, including a basketball court and a mini-golf course, most of the illustrations consist of pastel yellow and blue subjects on empty white backgrounds. Some pages employ frames and speech bubbles. Not addressed is the fact that both Duck and Cluck have the same claim to the egg: neither laid it, and both assume a self-centered finders-keepers-if-I'm-the-finder mentality. Though this series starter is perhaps not the most scintillating or original story, it's amusing and well-suited for new readers. VERDICT Recommended for larger collections or those needing to fill out their early reader sections.-Rachel Owens, O'Neal Library, Birmingham, AL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2021
Goulet Dubois brings the laughs in this story featuring a pair of bickering birds, the first installment in a new early reader series. Cluck, a blue chicken, is missing an egg; Duck, a yellow duck, has found one. They each believe the egg belongs to them. Both birds have white speckles--Duck on its blue bill and Cluck all over its blue body--making it plausible that either of them could have laid the white-speckled blue egg. The two birds spar hilariously over which of them is the rightful owner, and Cluck even goes so far as to accuse Duck of stealing. The duck tells a cockamamie story to explain how it found the egg and concludes that "finders keepers." When an accident reveals who the egg truly belongs to, readers will laugh out loud at the unexpected twist. Goulet Dubois' softly colored illustrations, rendered in colored pencils and digital paints, make good use of white space with just enough text per page--an effective combination for the emergent reader crowd. The use of speech bubbles and the occasional presence of comic book-style panels will appeal to children who enjoy and seek out graphic novels. A generous dose of onomatopoeia makes the story a fun read-aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A welcome addition to the early reader landscape that tickles the funny bone. (Picture book. 4-8)

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