One egg is slower than the others to hatch, and the mother goose and other chicks encourage the final gosling to come out of its shell by telling it about life in and around the pond.

The first line, "Hello in there!" just begs to be said in a Billy Crystal/Miracle Max voice. A fun read-aloud with realistic illustrations from interesting perspectives: close up, birds-eye, panorama. Great storytime choice for springtime.

*

Re-read September 2018
*
Re-read April 2024 ( )

From the title and some of Cyrus' previous books, which we've greatly enjoyed at the library, I'd been expecting a rollicking, silly rhyming story about hatching eggs. Instead, I found a lovely, upbeat story about a hatching gosling.

A cozy nest, anxious mother goose, and fuzzy goslings are eagerly awaiting the arrival of one last sibling. "Hello in there!/Are you aware.../how long we've all been waiting?". Amidst an exuberant spring, hatching eggs, rippling brooks, and swirling flocks of geese, a baby gosling finally pecks through and joins her family.

A simple, sweet story of hatching eggs and new family members. Perfect for storytime and spring.

Verdict: Delightful rhymes, simple story, and luscious illustrations make this a great choice for storytime and any library collection.

ISBN: 9781481458481; Published 2017 by Beach Lane Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This was a fun book and the illustrations are beautiful and very life-like. It was fun to anticipate the egg hatching and the telling of everything else that is blooming or happening around the egg, while the mama waits.