This playful picture book by award winning author/illustrator, Emily Gravett, tells the story of a duck who is desperate to have an egg like all the other birds. Sadly, he can’t lay one so decides to adopt an egg. Although others are unsure about his parenting skills, he dotes on his egg, waiting patiently for it to hatch.
Before reading the story, encourage children to look at the cover and to talk about what they notice. Then read through the book. It’s a book that lends itself to being read expressively to bring out the suspense and humour. Pause before the ending to think together about what might happen. What would children like to happen? What don’t they want to happen?
As you read and reread the book, encourage children to join in where they can. Their confidence and enjoyment will build as you revisit the book together and children become more familiar with the story and story language.
Talk together about which part of the story children like best and why. Why do they think duck wanted an egg?
Using the pictures in the book, children can retell the story in their own words.
Begin with children carefully holding an egg. They can describe it and say what they think is inside and where they think it came from. Crack it into a cup and children can describe the inside.
Boil an egg gently until hard-boiled. Leave to cool and place in an egg-cup. Children can decorate with felt tip pens and decorate by sticking on shiny paper, seeds, rice or pasta. They might decorate with patterns or a face. After time to admire it they can eat it!
Children can make up their own ending to the story. You can help them write it down and they can draw more pictures to illustrate it. When it’s finished, you can read it aloud together.
You can help children to find out more about other creatures which lay eggs such as crocodiles and penguins using information books or websites. Children can make a chart or poster with drawings of the animals and birds with their eggs. They could add any interesting information they can find such as how long they take to hatch.