What’s in Mina’s Book Bag?

Our latest interest is chickens. We recently found out that there is a community garden across the street and they have a chicken coop with nine chickens. Very interesting chickens! We hadn’t read the book Tillie Lays an Egg in a while, but that book came rushing back when we saw the chickens. The chickens in the coop were almost all “named” in Tillie’s book! I felt like I should be called the golden ones Edwina!

I remember reading it and thinking it would be so nice for Mina to be able to care for a chicken. Who knew that there would be a chicken coop across the street! Tillie Lays an Egg is about a chicken named Tillie who refuses to lay her egg in the nest. She finds “other” places to lay them. It is a search and find type book. You have to look (not too hard) and find the egg in the different locations. One time she lays in the laundry room, the next in the sugar bowl, etc. In the end, Tillie decides that the nest is quite comfortable and lays her egg in the appropriate spot.

Since we are now on the subject of eggs, there are a few other books that we have like about eggs. I had had hopes of doing a blog like this around Easter time, but that didn’t happen…here’s my opportunity now!

The Odd Egg is a funny story done in pencil about a duck who sees all the other birds lay and egg and wants one as well. He finds one: a lovely green polka dotted big egg! The others make fun of his egg, but the duck will soon have the last laugh when the egg creak crack opens at the end–I won’t spoil the surprise! You will have to read it to find out :).

I am in love with the book The Egg is Silent. It is so beautifully illustrated, so realistic. The author renders exact replicas of every kind of bird egg that you can think of, perfectly. It reminds me of rummaging through antique stores and finding old illustrated books and pages from the early 20th century.

Recently we have made very good friends with a new egg book: Egg Drop. It is all about an egg who dreams of flying. “He was young… he should have listened…” it begins and you know the egg is in for some trouble!

The last egg story that we have discovered, kind of by accident, is Two Eggs, Please. The story is based in a diner. The animals get off work and head to get some breakfast. Each orders eggs cooked in a different way, scrambled, sunnyside up, fried, etc. They all think: “Hmmm. … different but the same!” It is a basic book about how people can be different in many ways, but inside we are just like everyone else and that is ok.

The chickens will be getting big enough and will be laying their eggs soon. Mina will be able to go and harvest her own and make her first fresh omelet, straight from the coop. I can’t think of anything tasting any better than that! It will really bring Tillie Lays an Egg to life in so many ways.