Out of the Egg / Hau Ki Fafo He Fufua Moa

This is a lovely take on the fable of The Little Red Hen. Whereas the original tale is unforgiving of the little hen’s unhelpful friends, leaving them to face the consequences of their actions, this Little Red Hen has a chick who helps mediate between the friends. Introducing a “little red chick” into the story is a clever way of involving the young reader and making it more relevant to them. It is a kinder and more understanding version, though just as didactic in its own way.

The little chick is unhappy at his mother’s attitude and tells her so. Not only does the mother listen, she changes her behaviour, demonstrating the power of kindness and standing up for what you believe, even though it might mean challenging someone you love.

The title, Out of the Egg makes no allusion to The Little Red Hen or the traditional story – it is all about the importance of the chick.

The only colour in the illustrations are The Little Red Hen, the seed which grows into a tree, and the little chick, emphasising the important features in the story.

This book is bi-lingual being written in English and Niuean, but there are also English/Samoan, English/Tongan and English/Maori versions.