Extraordinary Egg, An

Leo Lionni (1998), Dragonfly Books

Three little frogs live together happily: August, Marilyn, and Jessica. Jessica is always wandering away, full of wonder about the world around her. One day, she finds the most beautiful, perfect pebble and brings to back to August and Marilyn – only to find out that it’s actually an egg! When the egg hatches, out comes a “chicken”, with green scaly skin and a long nose. The four friends have fun together, and Jessica’s chicken even saves her from the tangly weeds when she gets stuck. Eventually, the chicken goes back to her mother.

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Talk with a child about this book

In this story, Jessica is very different from her friends August and Marilyn. What is one way that Jessica shows a strong sense of curiosity?

When the egg hatches, the “chicken” comes out scaly and green and ready to swim! How did the chicken and the other three frogs become fast friends?

What do you think it must have been like for Jessica to get stuck in the weeds?

How do you think the chicken felt once it heard that her mother was looking for her? Do you think Jessica and the chicken stayed friends after she returned home?