Eggasaurus
by Jennifer Wagh; illus. by Hallie Bateman
Preschool, Primary    Simon    40 pp.    g
4/22    978-1-5344-5006-6    $17.99
e-book ed.  978-1-5344-5007-3    $10.99

“Dear Customer, Thank you for your Eggasaurus purchase.” A “fragile” delivery that arrives for a child named Maximus launches an epistolary story paced like a tennis match. Bright cartoon art shows the delighted boy and his devoted dog admiring the contents of the ­package: four colorful eggs, which according to the enclosed letter “may contain herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore.” In the background, ­Maximus’s father cranes his head from his laptop with concern. A page-turn shows ­Maximus writing back to Eggasaurus, Inc.: “My dad says I need to ask for a refund.” Company policy clearly stipulates “no refunds,” but as compensation they send two more eggs. At this point, the written communications between Maximus and the company both increase and (intentionally?) break down, leading to more egg deliveries. “Dear Eggasaurus, Dad says we cannot possibly accept the additional eggs”; “Dear Customer, We are sending an additional assortment.” The playfully naive illustrations (ink, watercolor, gouache, crayon, and colored pencil) capture Maximus mediating between Eggasaurus, Inc., and his father, who progresses from mild surprise to ­complete shock to, finally, happy acceptance. As the eggs begin to hatch and claim space and even greater attention, readers witness a positive shift in the father-son relationship. Ultimately, with a backyard full of dinosaurs, and official certification from Eggasaurus, Inc., Dad and Maximus open a new business: ­Dinosaur Day Care.

From the May/June 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.