Review by Booklist Review
What happens inside an egg when it's ready to hatch? Readers are treated to a cross section of the cramped egg containing an increasingly uncomfortable gosling embryo and step-by-step instructions on what the emerging creature needs to do. First, use an egg tooth to break the air cell and take a deep breath. The next step involves a whole lot of noise and a bit of muscle: with a "tap, ta-tap, ta-tap, tap, tap," the little bird starts breaking though the protective shell. The detailed directions continue until a final "KAPOW!" sees the gosling fully break free, get its bearings, and excitedly join the gaggle. Presenting the contents as a how-to manual for goslings is an inspired approach, simplifying the extraordinary process into easily understandable steps. Each satisfying spread features a brief numbered instruction (usually with accompanying onomatopoeic language), a close-up of the gosling's movements, and a colorful sidebar explaining the happenings in more scientific detail, resulting in an adorable and illuminating story that will appeal to a wide age range.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In an exhilarating read that's part nature documentary and part pep rally, Ackerman (Not Just the Driver!) and Bernstein (Santa Claws) take readers along as a goose embryo curled up inside an egg begins the laborious process of hatching. Gouache-like digital spreads provide detailed cutaway views of the egg from multiple angles--in one sweetly comical scene, the developing bird's tiny webbed feet are drawn up to its face. Play-by-play narration takes readers through the steps, alternating between sportscaster-style excitement ("WE HAVE A BEAK!") and practical tips ("Wing it! Use your wings to help you turn"), while boxed text provides additional facts ("If a gosling embryo takes too long to hatch, it might run out of energy"). The gosling emerges looking wet and worse for wear but utterly endearing, and soon transforms into a fluffy bird that's "healthy, happy, hatched." Whether accompanying a classroom project or read independently, the book will have readers cheering as they learn--and maybe thinking about their own arrival into the world, too. Back matter includes an author's note. Ages 3--7. Illustrator's agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Agency. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Bernstein's delightful illustrations open Ackerman's narrative with two geese building a nest and then follow a baby goose's growth inside the egg in close-up detail. Minimal main text guides readers through each step, while side panels provide fascinating explanations of the hatching process, including the air cell, egg tooth, and pipping muscles. Ending pages show the proud parents with their newly hatched goslings, including the one readers have watched develop. Ackerman draws on her own experience observing a goose hatch in kindergarten and from her many hatching projects as a librarian. A glossary rounds out the book, defining key terms encountered in the text. VERDICT A charming and informative look at life inside an egg that will work beautifully for read-alouds and is essential for all collections.--Heidi Dechief
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
This step-by-step overview of hatching addresses a gosling embryo directly. Ackerman's text cleverly oscillates between two registers: playful second-person commands to the unhatched bird ("Aim your egg tooth. Jab. Inhale") and factual sidebars explaining embryonic development. This dual-track approach accommodates varied attention spans and developmental stages; younger listeners can follow the energetic main narrative with its satisfying verbs ("UNZIP!" "PIP!" "KAPOW!"), while older children can absorb the scientific details in the teal-bordered text boxes. The vocabulary delights, with phrases such as "pipping muscle," "ta-tap," and "don't dawdle." Bernstein's digital illustrations make wonderful use of negative space, isolating the cream-colored egg and golden gosling against clean white backgrounds that focus attention on minute anatomical details and incremental progress. Bernstein's rendering of textures proves particularly effective--the gosling's down shifts convincingly from slick, matted wetness to airy fluffiness. The baby's parent demonstrates subtle shifts in posture and expression (vigilant neck stretching during pipping, tender head-tucking with hatchlings) that convey attentiveness without anthropomorphizing. Cross-section views inside the darkened shell rely on dramatic chiaroscuro to illuminate the cramped embryo's struggle, creating visual tension that culminates in a lovely payoff as the gosling emerges at last. A scientifically sound and artfully executed introduction to avian biology imbued with both wonder and accuracy. (glossary, author's note, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
