MotherReader

Eddie Elephant’s Exciting Egg-Sitting
by Barbara deRubertis, illustrated by R.W. Alley

One day, Eddie Elephant’s gardening buddy has a something exciting to show him. A new emu egg! Elmer Emu needs to sit on the egg to keep it warm, but he also has some gardening to do, so he asks the young elephant if he’ll do him a favor and egg-sit. Sitting seems like an awkward and dangerous choice, so Eddie wraps his trunk around the egg and tells it stories. When it hatches, he has a new friend — and a new audience. A cute, simple story with plenty of “E” words and extra facts about elephants and eggs. I’ll confess the title and series — Animal Antics A to Z — gave me pause. I expected an annoyingly obvious lesson, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fun little story with good illustrations. I mean, it’s not going to make the Kirkus Best of 2010 list, but looks to be a nice set of alphabet-themed titles.

Consider giving this book as a gift with the game Elefun or look for 105 other ways to give a book.

Book: Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems

Book: Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss

Fingerplay: “Eggs”

Eggs for breakfast, eggs for lunch
In a carton, in a bunch
Boiled or scrambled, cooked or fried
How many eggies have you tried?

Book: Ella the Elegant Elephant, by Carmela D’Amico

Song: “The Elephant”

The elephant goes like this and that

(stomp around)
Cause he’s so big and he’s so fat!
(make arms in big, wide circle)
He has no fingers and has no toes

(wiggle fingers, point to toes)
But goodness, gracious, what a nose!
(put arm in front of nose and move it like trunk)

Book: Edward the Emu, by Sheena Knowles

Alternate Books: Elephants Cannot Dance, by Mo Willems, or Epossumondas, by Coleen Salley

Go here for the full text of songs/rhymes/fingerplays.
Go here for more on how to win twenty-five picture books in the ABC Giveaway.