BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fox, Mem. 2005. Hunwick's Egg. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-216318-2
PLOT SUMMARY
This is the story of an adorable bandicoot named Hunwick. After a terrible storm passes, Hunwick discovers an egg that is all alone. He asks his friends if they know who the egg belongs to, but nobody seems to know where it came from. Hunwick decides to take care of the egg himself. He makes it a cozy bed, keeps it safes, and confides in it. Hunwick loves the egg, but time goes by, and the egg still hasn't hatched. Will Hunwick's egg ever hatch? What will become of them? The conclusion of this sweet story may surprise you.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mem Fox has created a heartwarming tale of friendship. Hunwick proves that it is possible to find friends in the most unlikely of places. He takes great care of his egg, and while the egg never talks back to him, he loves it anyway. He is just happy to have something there with him to snuggle and keep him company. Young children who have a special blanket or stuffed animal will easily relate to Hunwick. They will understand that, even though the egg doesn't do anything, it is still Hunwick's friend, as this is how they feel about their own treasured blankets/stuffed animals.
Fox's Australian roots shine through in this story. The main character is a bilby, also known as a rabbit-eared bandicoot, and is a marsupial native to the Australian desert. The other animals featured in the story are also indigenous of Australia, including an emu, an echidna, and a cockatoo. The illustrator, Pamela Lofts, is a native of Australia, as well. Her illustrations are authentic in depicting the landscape of the country, as well as many plants and insects.
Lofts's illustrations were done in watercolor pencil and certainly add to the appeal of this book. She drew all the animals to look cute and friendly, even if that may not be their natural personalities. The illustrations are colorful but muted, to keep with the sweetness of the animals and the setting. Many of the pictures are not contained to one page, but often spill over onto the next page. This design makes it appear as if the animals are moving right off the page and the plants are growing too rapidly to stay on just one page.
I have personally read many of Mem Fox's books. I can recall countless bedtime readings of Time For Bed when my children were babies. This was, however, my first read of Hunwick's Egg. I am excited to seek out more of her books that have an Australian flavor to them. My children really enjoyed this book, as well. My five year old son commented right away that the egg was similar to his stuffed monkey. Neither object talks but both still make good friends. My seven year old daughter loved the twist at the end. In her words, she "loved this story because the author tricked her, and that's hard to do!"
REVIEW EXCERPTS
2007 Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -"This slightly offbeat story with a universal message about the power of friendship is accompanied by glowing watercolor pencil illustrations in orange, pink, and violet tones that showcase the flora and fauna of the Australian landscape, adding an interesting element to this charming title. Young readers will appreciate Hunwick's loyalty and may be curious to learn more about the exotic animals portrayed in the lovely artwork."
From BOOKLIST - "Children will easily be drawn to Lofts' astonishingly expressive animal characters, and Fox's gentle text may resonate with young ones who feel a magical connection or companionship with their own cherished rock, shell, or shred of blanket."
From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "Lofts's artwork, appealing and spectacular, fills the pages with fascinating Australian desert flora and fauna."
CONNECTIONS
If your students enjoyed this book, read them more of Mem Fox's titles that feature Australian animals.
- Fox, Mem. Koala Lou. ISBN 978-0152000769
- Fox, Mem. Possum Magic. ISBN 978-1862910959
To learn more about Mem Fox's inspiration for Hunwick's Egg, click on this link. Mem Fox's Website
Ask your students to write about a favorite toy, blanket, stuffed animal, etc. that they consider to be their friend.
Have a discussion with your class about what might have happened if the egg did hatch. What kind of animal would have come out? Would Hunwick have loved the animal as much as he loved the egg? Why or why not?
Click on this link to show your students a video of some real Australian animals. Australian Animals
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