The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens, Susan Stevens Crummel
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on February 19, 2019
ISBN: 0547327676
Pages: 48
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Bear would rather sleep than farm. Fox knows just what he needs — a donkey! He tricks Bear into buying a “donkey egg.” Bear follows Fox’s instructions to keep the egg safe and warm, but when the egg gets away from him, it’s real identity is revealed. What do Bear and Hare do with the smashed “egg?” You’ll have to read it to find out.

This story is cute, and my 5 year old liked the ending. There are informational boxes throughout that explain the different lengths of time as Bear sits longer and longer, but they seem a bit out of place and jarring. They don’t tie well into the book. I’m not a huge fan of the illustration style, but that’s fairly subjective, and they’re not so off-putting that they ruin the story. This book would be best for one-on-one sharing with kids kindergarten and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME