The Golden Egg Book
By Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
Calling all grandparents and yes, parents too, that have sweet memories of a very special Golden Book titled The Golden Egg Book, originally published in 1947 and reissued many times since. It’s as traditional as can be and as fresh as a new coat of paint! You can see it in book stores right about now, as its cover is easily recognizable with its cover, a gorgeous beribboned Easter egg, painted with spring flowers and butterflies. Storyteller Margaret Wise Brown, of “Goodnight Moon” fame is here as welcome as the robins in spring, for this is a true classic picture book of nature renewing itself, reappearing year after year to the delight of young readers of a certain age.
Meet the soft brown bunny that, upon discovering a mystifying blue egg, immediately commences “what if” thinking as to what lies inside the mysterious, moving egg. His guesses as to what causes the movement in its INTERIOR runs the gamut from a little boy to a fellow bunny or perhaps an elephant or even a mouse! Experiments begin, as the small bunny alternately pushes the egg with his foot, jumps on top of it, throws nuts at it, rolls it down a hill and even throws a rock at it – but VERY gently, Ms. Wise Brown is quick to emphasize! Listening to the sounds emanating from the egg is HARD work and the hare happens to eventually fall asleep.
Who should pick this opportune moment for an appearance than the downy yellow DUCK that emerges from the blue egg? He too, seeing the bunny fast asleep, wonders, “What is THIS?”
And the same questioning occurs from the duck as from the now sleeping bunny with the exact same methodology and sequence of events!
A final roll down the hill does the trick as the bunny awakens and startled, asks, “Where is my egg?” and “Where did YOU come from.” See how much action you can miss with the briefest of naps!
A softly sweet friendship begins that wipes away the loneliness of both bunny and duck “And no one was ever lonely again.” is a perfect picture book fadeout.
Mr. Weisgard’s illustrations are housed in egg-shaped ovals on each page and springtime reminders surround his oval outlines, of irises, daisies, daffodils, pansies and ferns. They are pastel perfect and very recognizable on this classic cover.
If you are looking for a springtime read to usher in the balmy breezes that accompany new life peeking out everywhere on the landscape, meet a bunny and duck who have lead the way for generations of young readers in Margaret Wise Brown’s Big Golden Book classic called The Golden Egg Book. It’s a perfectly lovely spring opener and just what you need as a great classic read for young picture book readers! “EGG TRA” special!
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