FICTION

Dragon's Extraordinary Egg

by Debi GLIORI
illus. by Debi Gliori. 32p. ebook available. Walker. Oct. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780802737595.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Behind Gliori's witty, well-worded, and warmhearted tales for children is good advice for parents. This story, like so many egg-themed tales, is about adoption, but there's more to it. The story-within-a-story contains gentle lessons about isolation, being different, how "sometimes things happen for a reason," and how loving others is the best cure for loneliness. The prose is often poetic: "All the other eggs were given endless gifts: fast toys; vast toys; clattering things that made a noise. But Little One was given love and time, the greatest gifts of all." The moments of not-so-subtle moralizing are counterbalanced by endearing characters and engaging illustrations. Children will be immensely satisfied with the surprise ending.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
A dragon who can't lay an egg sets out to find one. Her adopted egg produces a baby penguin who is teased for being different ("You can't fly"; "You can't breathe fire"; etc.). This frame story, which features fiery and icy illustrations as needed and a quiet message about the depth of adoptive parents' love, concludes with a catch-in-your-throat twist.
Reviewed by Susan Weitz , Jul 01, 2014

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Zoomi and Zoe and the Sibling Situation
by Haydu, Corey Ann
BOOKS

Little Mouse Saves The Day (A First Comic for Brand-New Readers)
by Smith, Jeff
BOOKS

Earl & Worm #2: The Big Mess and Other Stories
by Pizzoli, Greg
BOOKS

Gertrude Gish on a Dish on a Fish: A Seuss Studios Book
by Hwang, Sarah
BOOKS

Sports Are Fun!
by Avant-garde, Zaila
BOOKS

Lissa Loves Bugs
by Blom, Tracy
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?