Out of the Egg / Fofoa Mai Le Fuamoa

Out of the Egg is a twist on the classic The Little Red Hen, with a slew of unhelpful characters, a fat cat, a dirty rat, and a greedy pig. Receiving the award for Best First Book at the NZ Post Book Awards in 2008, this 2022 imprint is now bilingual -English/Samoan.

I love the part when the chick questions their mother's 'mean' behaviour of not letting the unhelpful animals sit under the tree, 'Mum that's mean!' and how it leads to all the animals going home with their own little green seeds to plant.

The woodcut illustrations are limited in colour range, predominantly black and white. The red hen and the seed are coloured, making it easy to follow along these main characters in the story and especially the progression of the seed, transforming into a large tree. The woodcut illustrations curve around the pages and off into the distance, often wrapping around the text. This creates interest, with the action in the foreground becoming a focus.

A fun twist on a classic that will be enjoyed by both English and Samoan readers and will leave young readers to ponder what could be achieved if the animals had worked together and helped.