Product Description
While walking through the woods, Hank finds an egg all alone on the forest floor. Spotting its home high up in a tree, Hank diligently tries to return the egg to its nest, but is met with failure each time. After keeping the egg warm overnight, he returns to the scene the next morning. To his surprise, he is met by another forest creature. Will they find a way together to see the egg safely home?
Artist Rebecca Dudley crafts each tiny leaf, flower, and creature that appears in Hank's forest in breathtaking detail, bringing the sunlit woods to life. From delicate ferns to the glow of Hank's little campfire, Hank Finds an Egg immerses you in its vivid miniature world.
In this charming tale, told without words, Hank's endearing and genuine kindness will inspire readers young and old alike to believe in themselves and the goodness of others. Hardcover 40 pages Ages 3 to 8 Full color throughout 10-1/4'' high x 8-1/2'' wide
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-This wordless picture book is set in Dudley's fanciful Storywoods forest. With photographs of dioramas, she tells the story of Hank, a bearlike stuffed animal who finds an egg that has fallen from its nest. He tries various means to return it to the nest but cannot quite reach. A log he rolls up to the trunk doesn't lift him high enough and neither does the ladder he crafts together with twigs and twine. So, he carries the egg off with him to his campsite and tucks in for the night. Dudley has done a particularly good job with the lighting in the charming campsite scenes. The next morning Hank carries the egg back to its tree, wraps it in foliage, and watches as the mother hummingbird flies it home. The eggs eventually hatch, and Hank has three new friends. What is most unique about this book is how the setting is constructed. Dudley uses felt, paper, stone, and a variety of other materials to create her dreamy world. This is a book that is suitable in a one-on-one setting, as readers will want to take time to look again and again at the fine detail in the photos.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* This original picture book features a fresh look, an endearing main character, and a wordless story that speaks clearly to young children. Hank, a little animal, finds an egg on the forest floor and tries to return it to the nest overhead. He rolls a log to the tree and steps onto it, but he can’t reach the nest. He makes a ladder and climbs up, but the nest is still too high. After sleeping with the egg that night, Hank returns to the tree and sees a hummingbird. Carefully wrapping the egg in moss tied with ribbon, he offers it to the bird, who carries it to her nest. Hank keeps watch nearby until three little hummingbirds hatch and fly to him. Dudley creates and photographs wonderfully detailed, meticulously crafted dioramas. Changing character poses, settings, camera angles, focal points, and lighting contribute to the illustrations’ unusually strong sense of reality. This unassuming story holds great appeal for young children, who frequently find themselves too small to accomplish what they set out to do. Hank prevails through his creativity, his persistence, and his ability to work with another to solve a problem. A quietly magical little book to share, one on one, with a small child. Preschool-Grade 1. --Carolyn Phelan
Review
* “An artist to watch.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “A quietly magical little book.”
– Booklist, starred review
“Beautiful from start to finish . . . something special, no question.”
– School Library Journal
“Destined to become the [book] that kids who are three today will look at with their own kids 30 years from now.”
– The New York Observer
“Hank Finds an Egg is that rare picture-book pleasure: a wholly original take on storytelling.”
– The New York Times
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