The Donkey Egg

Sisters and frequent collaborators Stevens and Crummel return to the setting of Tops & Bottoms, Stevens's 1996 Caldecott Honor Book. Bear is still a magnificent creation, a velvety cantankerous slob with a ramshackle farm and perpetually untied wingtips. He's easy prey for trickster Fox, who convinces Bear to pay $20 for a "donkey egg"--readers will see it's really a watermelon--that will hatch into a farmhand who can help whip the place into shape. Instructed by Fox to keep the egg "warm, safe, and happy," even if it takes "minutes, hours, days, weeks, months" to hatch, Bear reveals that he's actually an old softy. Horton Hatches the Egg may immediately leap to mind, but this story has an appeal all its own, with the easygoing expansiveness of a backcountry raconteur. But the authors can't leave well enough alone--they punctuate their narrative with "Did You Know?" text boxes that use chirpy factoids to illustrate the passage of time ("It takes about two minutes to brush your teeth!"). It feels like watching a storyteller being continually interrupted by a helicopter parent. Ages 4-7. (Feb.)

K-Gr 2-In this follow-up to the Caldecott Honor book Tops & Bottoms, Bear is busy getting tricked again. Fox, knowing that Bear needs help around his farm, offers to sell him a green donkey egg. Bear agrees and sets about keeping the large green orb warm. Time passes and Bear finally realizes his egg is actually a watermelon, but then uses the seeds to help his farm and finally buy his own donkey. Much like its predecessor, Donkey Egg is a hilarious story told in rhyme and a loving tribute to the trickster tale. Sidebars offer interesting "Did You Know?" facts about the different increments of time used in the book, such as the fact that the average person blinks their eye over 1,000 times in an hour. These information bits may be distracting for some readers, but could also make this an interesting addition for STEAM-powered storytimes. Though the storytelling is strong enough to stand on its own, the artwork puts it over the top. Stevens's folksy, traditional style not only adds to the humor at the right moments, but also ensures that the piece will be as timeless as Tops & Bottoms. VERDICT A laugh-out-loud crowd-pleaser perfect for storytime and small group sharing.--Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI