The Egg

The Egg is the product of Geraldo Valério’s vivid imagination and creative talent. During a fierce rainstorm, an egg falls from its nest. When the parent bird returns to the empty nest, the bird is heartbroken. With tears flowing from its eyes, the bird abandons the nest and sets out into the storm alone. Through the rain, the bird—ostensibly a crane—spies another egg-shaped item on the ground. Believing the bundle to be another egg, the bird retrieves it and returns to the nest to restart the process of incubation. The “hatchling” that emerges bears no physical resemblance to its avian mother, but the love and affection they possess for one another holds together the unexpected new family duo.

The Egg is a wordless picture book, but, in the hands of an artist with the skill of Valério, the pictures certainly do tell a thousand words. The artwork consists of vivid cut paper collages. Valério’s use of colour to convey moods is clever. In the early scenes, vibrant blue skies reflect the hope-filled excitement of pending motherhood. However, the appearance of a single dark cloud in the blue sky is foreboding. When the sky darkens completely, it conveys a sense of tragedy and loss. With the discovery of the second “egg”, however, blue skies return. The black wing and tail feathers and red legs and a long red beak also contrast in visually interesting ways against the predominantly white plumage of the crane.

Additionally, Valério’s use of shapes and lines is skilful. The curved shapes of the mother crane’s neck and body juxtapose in interesting ways against the sharp lines of the bird’s long beak, straight legs, and pointy toes.

The Egg provides none-too-subtle commentaries about valuing diversity and about love within non-traditional or adoptive families. Young readers will benefit from exposure to messages such as these, but the main drawcard is the colourful artwork. It is simple, yet attractive. It is also playful. The long legs, long beak, and long neck of the crane—and the way those things are contorted to fit inside the nest and to cuddle the baby—add some humour to the book.