The Odd Egg

Bibliographic Information: Gravett, E. (2008). The Odd Egg. Illus. Emily Gravett. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Brief Annotation: Every bird had an egg, except Duck, until he finds the most beautiful egg. Duck's egg is the last to hatch and - watch out!

Genre: Animal Fantasy, Picture Storybook

Grade Level: PreK - 2

Readers who will like this book: Anyone who likes surprise endings! And anyone who has ever been laughed at for being different.

Rating/Response: 4 out of 4. A delightful story that relates the idea differences sometimes being a wonderful surprise! The back endpages continue the story, as many of books by this author also use the front and back endpages to help tell the story.

One question I would ask before a read aloud: Is it ok to laugh at someone for being different?

10/40: Guided Reading from 50 Literacy Strategies, by Gail E. Tompkins
I would use this book in small group guided reading instruction. The goal of guided reading is to boost students' fluency and comprehension. I would introduce the book; have the students take turns reading pages out loud; ask questions of the students as we read, encouraging them to respond; and place copies of the book in each student's book bag for independent reading. I believe that this book would work well for this strategy, especially in first grade, because the sentences are simple, the text and story are fun and entertaining, and I believe that students would enjoy rereading it on their own.