Customer Reviews

Good Egg

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

You know, in the old days a children's librarian would sooner saw off her right arm than be caught adding a "novelty" book to her children's room. We are the standard bearers. The folks who can distinguish the gold from the crapola. We are now and always have been the arbitrators of taste. The problem with being an arbitrator? Well, sometimes the really good stuff that also happens to be fun gets lost in the mix. Take the "novelty" book. The term usually applies to any book that has some kind of cheery, silly element to it. "Pat the Bunny" is a novelty book. Anything that involves feeling, pushing, testing, or smelling a story would constitute a novelty book. Pop-up books would even, under the strictest definition of the term, be considered novelties. But times have changed. Librarians now acknowledge that hiding within the silliest premise is the chance to get a kid engaged in a book. Think of novelty books as the gateway drugs to literature. And if you follow that metaphor to its logical conclusion, Barney Saltzberg's "Good Egg" is one delightfully addictive little creation.

This is where I tend to summarize the book before me. This one's pretty direct. An egg is given a series of instructions. It's very good at "sit" (lifting the page shows it to be in the same spot). Good egg! "Lie down" means that pulling a tab lets the egg lean to the side. Good egg! Roll over, shake, and catch are all demanded ("catch" is a particularly clever spread). Finally, the egg is told to speak. Pull the tab and a crack appears. "Speak!" the book demands, forcefully. Two little eyes poke out of the egg. Turn the page at last and a chick has emerged, cheeping its little head off. Good egg!

Generally I have a hard time reviewing the shortest of the short picture or board books because (and I don't know if you've noticed this) I am wordy. How much can a person really say about a book that's only 17 or so pages in length? Well, first things first. Is "Good Egg" any (for lack of a more appropriate term) good? I think so. I like the simplicity of it all. This is a book that goes for a fun and simple gag at the end that small children will not see coming. Saltzberg is aiming for a pretty young audience, so the novelty elements have to not only work in terms of construction, but the book itself has to be attractive to small tykes. The die-cut cover will help in this way. And the colors are good. The pages are usually cut into two different colors with the pure white egg resting on the horizontal line between them. There are few words, but they get right to the point. Basically, if you're a parent you're going to be able to read this book over and over and over to your delighted miniature audience without the desire to strangle yourself when they ask for it again. Not even once.

The book has been designed and lettered by one Netta Rabin who has done a thorough job. Words are clear and easy to read. Each "trick" the egg pulls is unique, and works. There's also the sheer toughness of the construction. As a librarian my concern when I see something with flaps and tabs is how long it will circulate in my system before it has to be thrown out. One time? Two? "Good Egg" has the distinction of being a particularly sturdy little construction, I'm pleased to say. It's not a board book, of course. So kids definitely have the chance of rending it asunder. But I liked that the pull-tabs weren't flimsy little flecks of cardboard, held together with spit and glue. When the book tells the egg to lie down, the tab you pull turns out to be almost as wide as the book itself, and consists of a thick purple construction. The "roll over" command has a smaller tab. And with the egg turning and flipping, this will probably be one of the first parts of the book to go. Even so, I was pleased to see that even the pop-up element at the end is firmly ensconced between the last two pages. And while it might be possible to pull out the baby chick's arms if you were really determined to do so, it's not going to happen easily.

This is one of those reviews where someone inevitably tells me "Hey! Your review is longer than the book!" That's cause I've a lot to say about books I actually enjoy reading. Does it have any problems to speak of? I dunno. I mean, it's a pretty short plot. "Moby Dick" it ain't. If you're looking for melodrama and a book that captures the heart of the American novel, I have bad news for you. This ain't it. If, on the other hand, you want a fun book to amuse small kids with, which also happens to sport interactive elements and slick graphic design, happy days are yours again. "Good Egg" is a keeper.

a simple but delightful story. It's not quite a pop-up, but I'd put it firmly in the toy and moveable book category, with lift the flaps, and other surprises. The gentle pastel tones of the book make it a natural for Easter, but there's nothing in it specific to that holiday, so it could be enjoyed year-round. It's got just a touch of humor, as the egg is commanded to "Sit!" and very obediently complies. "Roll over" is accomplished with the use of pull-tabs which send the egg whirling end over end, across the page. On the final page, the egg is commanded to "Speak!" and so it does, with a new baby chick peeping out. I wouldn't ordinarily recommend a pop-up book for toddlers, but this one seems especially sturdy, and the sentences are so short and direct, it feels just right for that audience.

"Good Egg"
by Barry Saltzberg"
(Workman Press, 2009)
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This is an absolutely delightful, pop-up-style board book for younger readers, in which the narrator talks to a single white egg as if it were a dog being trained to do tricks. Readers can help the egg "roll over" and "sit" etc. by pulling tabs and strings. There's a small delay when the egg is asked to talk, but after you turn just one more page, then the egg cracks open and the peep-peep-peeping begins. My preschooler is probably a bit old for this one, but greatly enjoyed it; little kids will love it, too. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

Length:: 2:05 Mins

My nephew is 2 years + 9 months old, and he really likes this book :)

It was fun for my 2 year old to pull the tabs and watch what happens. It's nice because it is not too wordy.

Short, delightful story of the very obedient egg with opportunities for the young child to make the egg "move." For the very young child, a crack reveals the "surprise" and explains the reason the egg is no longer obedient. I purchased it for pre-school aged children, but will share it with kindergarten students with whom I work.

I bought this for my 2-year-old nephew, but I may need to purchase another one for myself. It is SO much fun to "help" the egg follow the commands... a very clever and well-manufactured book. Charmingly simplistic, with a delightful ending that is sure to entertain children (and adults) of all ages. Happy Spring, Everyone!

I teach Nursery age children 18 months to 3 years old every Sunday for 2 hours, and they love this book. We have to read it every week. I have no problem getting them to sit and listen when I tell them it is story time. They start yelling "egg book, egg book". It is the best part of the day!

I bought it for my, then, 14 month old grandson, who is now 18months old. He is on his second book of the Good Egg. I bought it for him when he was a little too young, altho even at his tender age he always had that book in his hands. He has alot of books accumulated but the Good Egg was his favorite choice. When the book finally was in shreds we threw it away, but my daughter said he is looking for his Good Egg book. So I happily purchased another. Now we read it together and I remind him to be gentle with it. The entire family love this very simple but delightful book. Each page surprises him .... first he reads it himself, then he gives it to me or his mother to verbally read it to him. This probably wont be his last Good Egg. His pleasure is immense. grandma

My nine year old daughter reads this book over and over and over again. Each time it somehow becomes more hilarious to her. Watching her read it is, simply (to be corny), priceless.