The Easter Egg Farm (Hardcover)

by Mary Jane Auch (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Despite her yellow feathers, the personable Pauline is a hen of a different color--a sensitive fowl unable to "concentrate in all the confusion" of the henhouse. Her eggs, when they do appear, are of assorted vivid designs and colors, influenced by the objects she has just seen. Mrs. Pennywort, the farm's owner, senses an Eastertime gold mine and begins "taking Pauline on field trips for inspiration." (At the museum, Pauline's Mona Lisa egg is a rare treasure.) Nature takes its course, however, and soon kaleidoscopic chicks emerge from the shells. In time Pauline's progeny produce their own coveted eggs, and mother enjoys a well-earned, colorful retirement. Judging from her energetic, tongue-in-cheek text, Auch has adroitly mastered the leap from middle-grade novels to picture books. Her rib-tickling illustrations feature a gangly, Modigliani-necked Mrs. Pennywort, (over)dressed to the teeth; an eminently expressive Pauline; and of course, those spectacular ovoids. One witty scene follows another--Pauline on point watching the ballet (more inspiration), beside a rhinestone-dripping Mrs. P.; the hapless lady desperately trying to glue cracked eggs back together. Eggs-actly right. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Mrs. Pennywort's hen, Pauline, claims she's ``just different'' because she can't lay eggs when she's pressured. When she does produce one, it resembles whatever was in sight at the moment--chicken wire, the sky, a ladybug, a butterfly, flowers, and later on, ballerinas and the Mona Lisa. Mrs. Pennywort realizes Pauline's talent could be quite lucrative, but before the designer eggs can be sold they start to hatch into chicks as multihued as the shells from which they come. The chicks grow up to lay vibrant eggs that would make any mother proud. Large, zany, cartoon-style paintings in bright colors are a perfect match for the comical story line, which is a little disjointed. But while it may not be a literary classic, the book has a kookiness that children will love, and its popularity won't be limited to the Easter season. It may also be used to inspire art projects. A similar theme for a slightly younger audience can be found in Kurt Wiese's Happy Easter (Puffin, 1989). --Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823409171
• ISBN-13: 978-0823409174
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #726,098 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for children to expand their imaginations!!!, April 6, 1999

By A Customer

I teach school, and I love to read this book to my students every year at Easter time. It is a great book to encourage creativity. I also use it to have the students sequence different egg patterns. My students love the story as much as I do.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our very favorite books!, April 10, 2000

By A Customer

It has become a tradition in my home to read this book before painting our Easter eggs. The story and illustrations are so comical, colorful and exciting that we can't wait to turn the page and see what happens next. Then we pick our favorite egg. What fun! You won't be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Easter Egg Farm, April 25, 2006

A Kid's Review

The Easter Egg Farm, by Mary Jane Auch, has been one of my favorite ever since I was little. I love the story of a misfit chicken with a talent for laying colorful eggs. In the begining of the story, Pauline, the main character, is being ridiculed by the other hens becuase of the colorful eggs that she lays. This part of the story upset me when i was younger because Pauline was ashamed of her wonderful talent. Pauline continues to lay and hide her colorful eggs until Mrs. Pennywort finds one. Unlike the hens, Mrs Pennywort thinks that the eggs are beautiful. Mrs. Pennywort's appreciation for Pauline's eggs always cheers me up. Pauline has a wonderful talent and deserves some appreciation for it. Mrs. Pennywort begins to exhibit Pauline's eggs on the window sills of the house. The colorful eggs catch the attention of an old woman who is helping with an easter egg hunt. The woman converses with Mrs. Pennywort and they agree that the woman can use some of the eggs for the easter egg hunt. The eggs are to be collected from Mrs. Pennywort later in the week. Because of her deadline, Pauline begins to lay eggs constantly. Mrs. Pennywort also takes Pauline on feild trips to enspire her egg designs. I particularly like this part of the book because of the idea of a chicken at an art museum. The illustrations in this part of the book are also very colorful and add to the story. At the end of the week, Mrs. Pennywort begins to collect the eggs from around the house to give to the old woman, but when she gets to the sunny side of the house, she finds that all the eggs are hatching. Mrs. Pennywort goes into a tizzy tryin to glue the eggs back together while all the baby chicks run around the house. This illustrations in this part of the book are particularly funny. In the end, the old woman gets some eggs for the easter egg hunt and Pauline gets to keep her baby chicks.

I would reccomend this stroy to children between the age of four and seven. I believe this book needs such a wide age range because it is detailed, yet easy to understand. The acutal story is too detailed for young children to read but the illustrations tell the story by themselves. Because of this, older children will appreciate the words in the story and younger children will appreciate the the illustrations. This book is enjoyable for children of all ages.