The Stone Hatchlings

K-Gr 3—When Abby finds two round stones in her backyard, she decides that they are eggs and she is determined to nurture them until they hatch. She wraps them in warm sweaters that her grandfather knitted for her. When her mother calls her to dinner, Abby refuses to leave the "eggs" unattended. In the morning, they have "hatched" into two little chicks. Mom looks at them again. "They're still stones," she says. Abby paints them bright colors so her mother can see them, too. She whistles a tune so her dad can hear them and eventually her parents accept the birds. Life is indeed a song, but when the birds stop singing and look longingly out the window, Abby decides she can't hold on to them forever. This is a simple yet profound story of a child and her vivid imagination. Readers will enjoy Abby's delight at finding the "eggs" and making a loving nest for them, and parents will respond to her mother and father's quiet acceptance of the birds. Leng's bright and detailed illustrations capture the essence of a precocious, messy child and her adorable puppy that matches her fanciful imagination. Pair this with Syd Hoff's The Horse in Harry's Room (Harper & Row, 1970) and Kevin Henkes's Jessica (Greenwillow, 1989) for a storytime feast of imagination.—C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY