ECONOGAL

The Great Eggscape! is a delightfully silly children’s book written by Jory John. A dozen eggs run around the grocery store in an elaborate game of hide and seek. Young children can easily connect with the theme. Since the eggs dye themselves during the story there is an easy tie into Easter week activities. Thus, the book fit into my categorization of an Easter book. But The Great Eggscape is non-religious. However, the message of leaving no egg behind is meaningful.

Shel is the only egg not romping through the grocery store. He prefers “alone time” and misses out on the coloring bath. Meanwhile, the other eggs from the carton decide to make him leave the container by hiding in various sections of the grocery store. (Much to the displeasure of at least one grumpy vegetable.) And as time ticks by, Shel worries and starts on a hunt for the hidden eggs. Thus, his friends’ plan works.

Hidden among the eggs are several learning opportunities. Time is captured on an analog clock. Shel lines up his fellow eggs to make sure the full dozen is there. So, even though there is not an actual count, readers can easily perform this simplest of math functions – if they choose to.

But when little egg Meg is missing Shel stops the rest from quitting the search until all are found. With the help of Greg (the egg decorated like the universe) and the others, Shel discovers Meg’s hiding place. Persistence and teamwork are just as important as having fun with friends.

A little Adobe Photoshop of my Own…..

Pete Oswald is the noted illustrator and recognized on the book’s exterior cover. But further details on the artwork are just inside. Saba Joshaghani used scanned pencil sketches based on Oswald’s original artwork to create the interior pages. Adobe Photoshop was the software utilized to paint the images. This remarkable feat was produced in Italy.

Finally, two pages of stickers can be detached from the book and used to decorate eggs-just in time for Easter.