Ten Eggs in a Nest

PreS-Gr 1—It's an exciting day for counting in the hen house. Gwen the hen insists it's bad luck to count your eggs before they hatch, so rooster Red doesn't count but waits faithfully by her side. When the first chick arrives, the proud papa visits the local Worm World for a welcome-snack, only to find more hatchlings when he returns. The rooster continues to go to the market until a total of ten worms fill his brown shopping bag and Pinky Pig receives one coin per worm. Young readers will find multiple opportunities to count here: Gwen counts her new chicks, Pinky counts the worms, and Red counts the coins-not just singly, but adding 1+2+3+4 as each group of eggs hatch. Bright yellow chicks and their equally colorful parents appear in simple, uncluttered painted images. This early reader offers clear visual clues for interpretation of text, a large font, and plenty of opportunity to sum up the story in more than one way. A recommended purchase for any library with a collection for emerging readers.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX