Eggs from Red Hen Farm: Farm to Table with Mazes and Maps
by Monica Wellington; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Holiday    40 pp.    g
3/22    978-0-8234-4782-4    $18.99

How do eggs get from “farm to table”? From the very outset of this cleverly presented and organized book, readers are invited to find out: “Let’s go with Ruby and Ned along the stone path, past the apple trees, the cows, and the sunflowers to the henhouse.” After collecting eggs “from every nook and cranny” of the henhouse, Ned and Ruby hop into their bright red truck and begin the trek to sell and deliver the eggs. While Ned runs their stall at the farmer’s market, readers ride along with Ruby to her many delivery locations—bakery, school, grocery store, and back home—where she and Ned receive a sweet surprise. Composed of straightforward dialogue and simple sentences, the text both complements the busyness of the illustrations and welcomes beginning readers to navigate the narrative on their own. The book design is inventive: Some double-page spreads include a simple, nearly full-bleed map and a panel of directions with labeled illustrations. Other spreads feature a decoratively framed verso, whose details reflect the next location along Ruby’s many stops, while a small vignette on the recto, shaped subtly as an egg, highlights each friendly handoff. Warm and cheerful colors brighten the folk art–like illustrations. A delightful entry point for young readers to learn valuable mapping skills and enjoy searching the pages for all the nooks and crannies where eggs can be found.

From the March/April 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.