Roly-Poly Egg

Splotch—a red, bug-eyed burst of a bird who fully resembles her name—is so overjoyed about the egg she laid (it's shiny blue with multicolored spots) that her branch shakes, and the egg falls. Via a dashed line, readers can follow the egg's trajectory as it rolls down Jemima giraffe's neck, bounces off a zebra's hoof, and has several other narrow escapes before returning to Splotch, at which point it begins to crack. A flap at the end reveals a blue chick, whose cockeyed stare and shock of scribbly plumage only a mother could love. Vibrant collages, somewhat suggestive of Eric Carle's work, pack plenty of kid appeal. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)