Title: The Good Egg
Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Pete Oswald
Target Ages: 4 and up
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Summary: The Good Egg is helpful. The Good Egg is kind. The Good Egg is responsible. The Good Egg tries to make everyone else act the right way too. His do-good mantra is taken to an extreme which has an unwanted outcome.
First Lines:
“Oh, hello!
I was just rescuing this cat.
Know why?
Because I’m a good egg.
A verrrrrry good egg.”
Memorable Moment:
“For once, I found time for me. And guess what! Little by little, the cracks in my shell started to heal. My head no longer felt scrambled.”
Evaluation:
A “good egg” is an archaic way of saying someone is a kind person. The term began as a contrast to the slang term “bad egg” to characterize a person who is not nice. Author Jory John brilliantly builds on these terms to create a story about perfectionism, mental health, and letting go.
The Good Egg is the second book in his creative and thought-provoking food series. The first is The Bad Seed, which I enjoyed so much that I purchased it.
The Good Egg isn’t just a kind person. He has taken it to an extreme. He has become a perfectionist, and with it, he is driven by a need to control. The text says, “I tried to take charge. I tried to fix their bad behavior. I tried to keep the peace. Because I am a good egg.” His desire is noble: He wants everyone to act right and to do good. Jory’s characterization resonates with many people.
Little does the Good Egg realize, but the added pressure to control his surroundings is causing his shell to crack. He is literally cracking up (nice pun). This situation is more reflective of the experiences of many older children and adults, but there are some young children who are perfectionistic and/or controlling. This story illustrates in a concrete manner where those tendencies lead.
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The Good Egg leaves the chaos to take care of himself. He walks, reads, relaxes, paints, and writes. He gets some spa time in. The text states, “Little by little, the cracks in my shell started to heal. My head no longer felt scrambled. (another good pun) I started to feel like myself again.” The story illustrates many positive examples on how to deal with stress and mental exhaustion. Overall, it shows the importance of making good personal choices.
When the Good Egg returns to his home, he deals with the pressure better. He doesn’t try to change others and control everything. His shell heals to reflect how he has healed internally. This story is a springboard for discussing healthy choices and boundaries.
Illustrator Pete Oswald helps keep the serious topic lighthearted. Whether it is the Good Egg walking an old lady piece of bacon across the road or the egg receiving a yolk IV, each watercolor illustration is a delight.
This story will speak to people of all ages. It may just be more meaningful for older children and adults than the target ages of a typical picture book. I highly recommend The Good Egg.
Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:
Art: Download a free egg template. Students can create their own egg character.
Character Education: Use this book as a springboard for discussion on healthy boundaries in relationships as well as on self-care.
Comparison: Compare how the Good Egg interacts with his fellow eggs in the beginning and at the end of the story. Or compare The Good Egg to The Bad Seed. How are these 2 stories similar and different?
Creative Writing: Teach or review the plot diagram. Then, have students pick a food item to write a story about in which they must incorporate all the parts of a story–exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Figurative Language: Use the story to teach about puns and/or symbolism.
Literature: As a class or family, read the whole fruit series by Jory John and Pete Oswald.
Math: There are 12 eggs in a dozen. There are 12 egg characters in the story. Learn or practice how to count by 12’s. Do some math story problems using the term “dozen.”
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