Customer Reviews

The Talking Eggs

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book received a Caldecott Honor as one of the best illustrated children's books in 1990. The rich, subtle watercolors expand the reader's appreciation of the story, and help keep some of its stronger elements in balance for younger children. The story itself is a cross between several favorite fairy tales, most significantly Cinderella, and represents a retelling of a Creole story from the American South.

A widow has two daughters, and lives with them on a poor farm that "looked like the tail end of bad luck." Rose, who was like her mother, was "cross and mean and didn't know beans from birds' eggs." Her sister, Blanche, was "sweet and kind and sharp as forty crickets."

Unfortunately, their mother liked Rose best because they were so similar, being "bad-tempered, sharp-tongued, and always putting on airs." While the two of them chatted, Blanche did the work.

One day, Blanche was getting water and ran into an older woman who asked for a drink. Blanche helped her. As a result, Blanche was late returning and received much ill-treatment from her mother and sister. Running off, Blanche saw the old woman again, who asked Blanche to join her. She warned Blanche not to laugh and to do as she was told. Soon, they are in a magical place where all kinds of strange things happen. But there is plenty to eat and drink. At the end, Blanche is told to bring back certain talking eggs and throw them over her shoulder. When she does, a nice set of surprises occurs.

Immediately jealous, her mother sends Rose to the old woman to get similar help. But Rose cannot follow directions, and the magic either doesn't work for her or causes her problems.

In each case, justice is done.

The story is told in an imaginative way that makes the reader want to know what will happen next. Unlike many fairy tales where you can pretty much outline the rest of the plot near the beginning, this one has some interesting, unexpected twists.

The writing is witty, and makes good use of the story's inherent charm in praising goodness of character.

If you have a sensitive child, this may not be the right book for you to acquire. The treatment of Blanche can upset some children. The magic involves creatures having two heads, and the old woman being able to take her head on and off again. In one scene, Rose takes the woman's head as a ploy to get some talking eggs, too. You can see how this might be a bit much for a sensitive four year old. Children who are able to suspend their sense of reality will probably have no problems with the story.

I enjoyed the watercolors very much. They provided a richness in their exquisite detail that made me feel good just holding the book. Also, it made the book seem more sophisticated than the typical treatment of fairy and folk tales.

The book deals with many realistic problems that occur in families, like having only one parent, not having enough money, having one child be favored over another, having one child be treated poorly, and children looking for sympathy from nonfamily members. This will provide many opportunities to discuss these issues, and find out what your child thinks.

I also suggest that you talk about whether or not Blanche should have gone off with the old woman. The book seems to suggest that looking for help from strangers is a good idea. That's not an idea that I wanted my children to have, so you will probably want to clarify your feelings on this subject as you read the book.

May all be loved, and treated fairly!

There is not much not to like about this work. The author has given us a great folk tale, well written, wonderful illustrations, a work full of lessons and just a pure simple fun story to read. Like all good fables this one not only entertains, but teaches some very valuable lessons in life and living (something most of we adults could use a dose of now and again). This is a great book for a child to read on her or his own, a wonderful book to read with a child and a great book to read to an entire class. It is absolutely amazing the amount of discussion this book can create in a class room. I certainly am not going to go into the story line here, other reviewers here have done a grand job of that, but I do say the book is well worth owning and well worth using with children and/or young adults. I do wish more of our folk tales and lore could be so well presented. This particular edition is well constructed, sturdy and can last through many little hands. Highly recommend this one.

I personally like the story a lot. It was magical. Usually magic stories I like a lot. Blanche, the sister of Rose, did all the work. Blanche got in trouble and an old lady took Blanche to her house. There was a two-headed cow, colored chickens, and in the evening rabbits came to dance outside the house. Blanche took some eggs and .....find out!

This is my daughter's favorite book. The illustrations are wonderful and the story line very creative. A must for any folklore lover.

This is a charming little folktale about two sisters Š one mean and greedy, the other generous and kind Š and their encounter with a strange, magical old woman. In the end, the good sister is rewarded and the bad one punished. A nice story with a good message.

But this isnÕt just a nice book, it is an extraordinary one. One thing that makes it special is the way the author uses language. Robert San Souci draws on an African American storytelling tradition and a southern rural dialect that just makes the language sing! The book is full of wonderful, poetic lines and great rhythmic language. ItÕs a joy to read aloud. The words feel good in your mouth. And any parent or teacher who reads aloud a lot knows what a rare quality that is. Even when IÕm tired, I feel like I canÕt read this book badly. The words just flow.

And the illustrations are gorgeous. Jerry Pinkney is one of the best illustrators around and this is one of my favorites of all his work. The composition, the subtle colors, the intricate detail Š you rarely come across art this fine in childrenÕs books.

I bought this book for my daughter a couple of years ago, and weÕre still reading it over and over again. ItÕs so good, I hope in a generation sheÕll still be reading it to my grandchildren.

The book, The Talking Eggs, is like Cinderella because the nice sister, Blanche, is doing all the work and the mom and sister, Rose, are just sitting and just laying around all day long.........One day Blanche meets a woman and the woman takes her somewhere, but where? Hint-Hint.......two head cows and talking eggs. Guess what happens at the end.......who knows. Go get the book and find out for yourself!

Wow, I got chills when I saw this on here. This book is awesome! It was my favorite book for the longest....my mom must have read it to me 1000 times, and each time felt as enchanting as the first. The author really has a talent for activating a child's imagination. I'm going to buy it now and save it for when I have kids. Yes, it's that serious !

You know when your child brings you a stack of books, and asks you to start reading? You should be so lucky that this book is amongst them. It is a beautiful story, with a strong and unusual message. My kids and I talk a lot about the lesson the girl learns from the witchey old lady. We're not sure the witch was right...it is thought provoking.

I first read this book when I was in Elementary School, now almost out of high school I still love it. Blanche shows how good things happen when you stop to help those in need, mind your manners, and are obedient. Rose shows what happens when your disrespectful, and rude, and greedy. It truly is one the childrens books I've ever read (and I've read ALOT!).

Great lesson for children. This story teaches that respect, honesty, hard work, greatfulness, and kindness are traits that take you where you want to go and that the opposite traits may yield undeseriable outcomes. My classes really enjoyed the illustration too!