Scratch, scratch, scratch! Mother Crane dug away in the hot damp sand, looking for a tasty snack. Scratch, scratch—but what was this? There in the crumbly earth was a nest of beautiful eggs! They were as big as goose eggs, shiny white, and speckled with gold.

Mother Crane decides to hatch the eggs herself. Meanwhile other animals begin stopping by—a flamingo, zebra, butterfly, giraffe, silver monkey, and even a s-s-sssnake.

The story is a cumulative sequence text. As each new animal is introduced (and says "Fancy that!"), all the previous animals are repeated.

What do the eggs contain? they all wonder. Suddenly, "[s]omeone inside the egg was making a peeping sound." When the shell cracks, out comes . . . a baby crocodile. Then the ground begins to shake. Mother crocodile has come to carry her babies to the "safe, warm water."

The colorful, painted illustrations are bright and bold and capture the action perfectly on double-page spreads.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis
©2005 Education Oasis  http://www.educationoasis.com