Shake a Leg, Egg!

PreS-Gr 1—A Canada goose and her four goslings eagerly await the arrival of their newest family member. "Are you aware…/how long we've all/been waiting?" Mother asks. New life is blooming all around the pond: pussy willows wave, green plants are sprouting, baby birds fill the nest, and ducklings swim in a row. Still the geese wait and wait until finally a very wet little one emerges to join its siblings and parents in a swim across the water. While not breaking new ground, this is a delightful package of brief text combined with striking illustrations, most of them photo-realistic close-ups on spreads. Cyrus fills his pictures with details, such as the birds' feathers and down, straw in the nest, and various pond creatures. Mom reaches down to speak to her egg-enclosed offspring, her beak so close, only her enormous head fits on the page. Four fluffy goslings, their own shells lying cracked open, surround the unhatched egg. At last, their beaks open in excited anticipation, they watch as the latecomer pokes its way out. Other lovely spreads depict "buds bursting," creatures "swimming [and] slapping," and "wings whistling overhead" as new life blossoms around the pond. The rhyming, alliterative text invites participation, and the large pictures provide a striking backdrop for a discussion of animal life and the signs of spring.