Bently & Egg [Hardcover]

William Joyce (Author, Illustrator), Willaim Joyce (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 1 and up

A springtime comedy celebrating new life, friendship, and fatherhood by the incomparable creator of "A Day With Wilbur Robinson, Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, " and "George Shrinks."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bently Hopperton is a young frog with an artistic temperament. So when his best friend, a duck-of-the-wood named Kack Kack, suddenly abandons him to focus on hatching her newly laid egg, Bently is a bit put out.

"'Isn't it beautiful?' asked Kack Kack."

"Bently didn't know. 'It's just an egg,' he thought."

However, Bently is nothing if not loyal, so when Kack Kack asks him to watch her egg while she goes to visit her sister, he grudgingly agrees. Lonely and bored, he decides to liven up the plain white egg by painting dazzling designs on it. The egg attracts the attention of a rowdy young boy and fortunately, its extraordinary decoration saves it from an immediate smashing. Unfortunately, the boy, believing the Easter Bunny left the egg, runs off with it. Bently Hopperton to the rescue:

"'Easter Bunny, my eye,' thought Bently. 'That's a Bently Hopperton egg!... Don't worry, egg. Armed only with my wits, I'll not fail you, egg,' he vowed bravely, and took off in pursuit."

What follows is a delightfully silly romp complete with a hot air balloon that just happens to be at hand when needed, and a toy boat moored close by for a convenient getaway. William Joyce's elegant paintings and hilariously deadpan text make this a book young readers will want to keep conveniently nearby for quick getaways anytime... but especially Easter time. Joyce has written many well-loved picture books, notably Rolie Polie Olie. (Ages 4 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

With a dash of whimsy and a dollop of eccentricity, this sprightly tale of a "young and musical frog who loved to draw" contains an endearing hero, amusing pandemonium and a pleasingly happy ending. The plot is deliciously impossible: asked to take care of his only friend's freshly hatched egg, Bently paints it, then watches helplessly as it is "eggnapped" by a boy who mistakes it for an Easter egg. During the daring rescue, Bently befriends a stuffed elephant and an earnest goldfish, sings charmingly, escapes in a hot-air balloon and in a toy boat, and learns that he has more friends than he realizes. The sophisticated text, full of puns and echoes of 19th-century language--"Oh, joy! Oh, rapture!" intones Bently on finding the lost egg--will appeal to adults as well as children. Joyce ( Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo ) fans will be enchanted with both the Steig-like story and the muted pastel drawings that brim with droll humor and surprises aplenty. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060203854
• ISBN-13: 978-0060203856
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A true luminary and creative spirit, William Joyce has put his personal stamp on children's media in every direction. His picture books include George Shrinks, Dinosaur Bob and Santa Calls; he's won three Emmy awards for his Rolie Polie Olie animated series; developed character concepts for Toy Story and A Bug's Life; and his films include Robots and Meet the Robinsons. He's currently co-directing The Guardians for DREAMWORKS, and is producing The Leaf Men, based on his picturebook. He lives in Shreveport, LA, and is the founder of Moonbot Studios.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite children's book! (My daughter's too!), March 31, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bently & Egg (Board book)

This children's book is exquisitely told and drawn. My almost-six year old daughter and almost-four year old son also love it. Every time I read it, I wonder why they don't make children's movies like this book. I would so much rather take my children to see this book in film version than to another Disney film. This is the kind of story children and parents can get lost in together. And I can't say enough about the illustrations--I laugh every time I see Bentley smiling down at the screaming lady from atop her easter bonnet! I give this book my highest recommendation.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delicate and charming, July 8, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (TelAviv, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bently & egg (Paperback)

the book is very well illustrated. it tells a lovely tale of the right to make mistakes, and the way to mend them - all in good humor and fine understanding of a child's worry confronting mistakes! loved it! got it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We consider this book a holiday classic!, May 25, 2011

By 

Tamara Donohue "T. Donohue" (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bently & egg (Paperback)

My children and I consider this book a "holiday classic" for Easter reading. Really just a wonderful book for kids ages 4 +. Lovely story, well told with great intelligence and humor just like so many other William Joyce books. The painted illustrations are also classics. My kids love the funny voices we've made up for all the characters. This is a real gem, and the perfect gift from grandparents or aunts and uncles who don't want to arrive bearing candy on Easter.