“Picture-book master Henkes...taps into the deepest emotions of preschoolers with the simplest of stories. …Pacing is, as ever, perfect, taking full advantage of the switch from the early, snappy paneled pages to a series of wordless spreads that tell the story of the budding four-way friendship.” - Horn Book (starred review)
“Four eggs wait to hatch, but their destinies differ. ...executed with gentle mirth and invitingly minimal text. ...[youngsters will] appreciate it as a tale of adorable little birds finding an unexpected sibling.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Kevin Henkes reprises the delicious milk-chocolate and sugared-pastel color sceme of 2015’s Waiting in Egg. Part preschool comedy routine, part word primer…children will learn the words ‘alone,’ ‘said’ and ‘lonely’ before the tale takes a conciliatory turn with the making of ‘friends.’” - Wall Street Journal
“With characteristic understatement, Henkes explores tenderness, acceptance, friendship, and love in this deceptively simple story. ...Henkes’s illustrations provide depth and a meaningful sense of the passage of time. ..The open-ended conclusion invites readers to continue the story themselves.” - Booklist
“Full-page spreads [depict] surprise, wonder, and newfound companionship. ...Another stunner from Henkes, who is able to evoke so much with few words and such seemingly simple illustrations. Gorgeous and thought-provoking.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Thickly outlined in brown, Henkes’s animals exude sweetness and innocence; and a quietly surreal ending, which sees the setting sun morph into an egg and then an orange bird, subtly emphasizes the anything-is-possible potential of storytelling. ...Terrific encouragement for readers to embark on their own narrative experiments.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fans...will delight in his use of line, simple forms, and a gentle palette, all of which clearly portray feelings, depict action, and suggest character. The concise text and straightforward illustrations, however, belie a more complicated tale. ...This is a book that readers will want to pore over.” - School Library Journal (starred review)
