The Last Egg

This story takes an unexpected twist, after Mother and Father Bird send their young to warmer shores for the winter.

Supported by stunning illustrations, the story unfolds through the seasons, first through Father Bird supporting Mother Bird as she sits on their eggs, then with the appearance of an unusual egg one night. Even after Mother Bird's eggs hatch, she insists upon supporting the last egg; lending itself to great conversations about empathy, responsibility and resilience.

Once the winter weather appears, Father Bird is ready to go but Mother Bird again insists upon staying, waiting until the last egg hatches. It's here the artwork takes a 'darker' theme, with the colour palettes changing to a much more dramatic lens. After an unusual creature hatches from the egg, the discussion could easily focus around predicting what happens next; are the two birds simply left to die in the cold winter storm, or are they rescued and repaid for their kindness in supporting the egg until it hatched.

We read this story aloud in a junior classroom and the students were highly engaged in both the narrative and the artwork. It lent itself to many discussions about what we value and the idea of 'what goes around comes around'.

A beautifully displayed book with a great narrative.