The Talking Eggs

The Talking Eggs retold by Robert D. San Souci tells the story of a mean mother and two daughters, Rose; mean and spiteful like her mother and Blanche; kind and thoughtful. The mother and Rose mistreat Blanche. One day Blanche runs to the woods for solace and meets an old lady. The old lady treats the girl with kindness and rewards her behavior with riches. Upon Blanche’s return home, Rose and her mother want the same riches that Blanche has. Rose is sent into the woods to find the old lady, but does not treat the old lady kindly and is rewarded accordingly.

This folktale from the south offers fairy tale elements. The plot is fast paced and the setting timeless. The conclusion immediately follows the plot climax. The universal theme of rewarding good and punishing bad is conveyed in this book. This book was honored as an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, a Randolph Caldecott Honor Book, and Colorado and Delaware State Awards. The engaging illustrations provide story detail and capture the readers’ imagination. I love the expressive illustrations in this book. They tell the story with memorable detail. The characters and setting of this book could be changed and the story would still be meaningful.

I would recommend this book to students in grades K –4. This would make a great read aloud book.

Keywords: imagination, poverty, spirit, promise, honor, wicked