Book Title: The Good Egg
Author: Jory John
Published: 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishing
Number of Pages: 40
Recommended Age Group: Pre-school, Elementary
From The Good Egg
“If you need any help whatsoever, I’m your egg. Yep. I’m a verrrrrry good egg indeed. But what if being too good goes wrong?”
Subjects and Themes
The Good Egg is the sequel to Jory John’s popular work, The Bad Seed. In this lighthearted picture book, we’re introduced to the story of one “good” egg in a carton with eleven other not-so-good eggs. Although the Good Egg tries to get the others to follow his example, they just don’t listen. It gets so bad that the Good Egg’s shell starts to crack from stress and he eventually has to leave the carton! But during his time away, the Good Egg learns to relax and not be so hard on himself, and eventually returns to the carton with a new perspective.
The main theme of The Good Egg will really resonate with perfectionists. While the Good Egg is seen throughout the book doing lots of good things, he’s simultaneously putting way too much pressure on himself, and the others in the carton. By the end of the book, we see the Good Egg come to realization that others are not perfect, and he doesn’t have to be either.
Author Jory John does an excellent job of highlighting a necessary subject, while also maintaining a humorous tone to keep young readers engaged. The book’s theme is ideal for elementary children as it hits on important subjects at a basic level.
Characters
The characters in The Good Egg are full of personality and offer distinct contrasts to one another, helping to highlight the book’s primary theme.
The main character, the Good Egg, is relatable to children and adults who have ever dealt with the stress of trying to be perfect. Additionally, the title character also brings a great deal of charm and humor to the story which is great for keeping a young audience interested.
John also does a great job of creating memorable secondary characters who help push the book’s theme forward as well. In addition to their contrast to the Good Egg, the other eleven eggs bring a lot of humor to the story through their “bad” actions and funny names.
Illustrations
The illustrations in The Good Egg were the creation of popular illustrator Pete Oswald. Like his art in the other books of the series (The Bad Seed & The Cool Bean), Oswald’s work is full of detail and centered around character design. Each of the characters really shine throughout and come to life thanks to their vivid expressions.
The Good Egg was on repeat during story time in our house because my daughter loved the illustrations in the book. No matter how many times we read it, the same parts would always get a laugh. The combination of the humorous tone and fun artistic style make this a great choice for kids ages 4 to 8.
Awards and Accomplishments
The Good Egg reached number one on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Additionally, it was also featured as a Goodreads.com 2019 Picture Book of the Year nominee.
This is a great book for children because…
Jory John’s The Good Egg has every component of a great picture book. It has excellent illustrations, detailed characters and combines humor with a good message for children. If your a fan of John’s other work, The Bad Seed, you’ll be sure to love The Good Egg.