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I typically enjoy reading longer books with my daughter. In today’s world of instant gratification and binge watching, there’s something exciting about having to wait a whole day to pick up a story and find what happened to our heroes. Often a longer book, such as the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, can take several weeks to finish depending on how much we read a night.
However, sometimes we need a break from longer books. So for a change of pace, every so often, we’ll take a night off and read a picture book instead. I’ve done then when we’re in the middle of a larger book or between larger books. I also use picture books when story time needs to be cut short. One can easily read this book in under 10 minutes.
One of our favorite picture book authors/illustrators is Elsa Beskow. Elsa was a Swedish author who wrote over forty children books in the early 1900s. You can read about Elsa here. Her illustrations have a very unique style with a dreamlike appearance about them that works great for bedtime reading when you’re trying to settle your child down.
Review of The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow – A Classic Children’s Picture Book
One of Elsa Beskow best known books is The Sun Egg which was published in 1932. The story follows the adventures of a small elf who finds what she believes to be a “sun egg” but in reality is an orange. The elf, along with her forest friends, including a gnome called Crooked-Root and a frog called Happy Frog, have to decide what to do with the “sun egg”. I’ll admit, I did not see the ending coming.
Like many of Beskow’s stories, the The Sun Egg puts a lot of emphasis on the seasons and the cyclical character of nature. Without giving away the ending, the book looks to explain the changing seasons similar to the ancient Greek myth of Hades and Persephone by tying them to the return of a mystical creature.
It is also worth noting for bedtime readers, there isn’t anything too scary in the book. A giant crow does steal the “sun egg” but this bad act ends up costing him in the end. One nice thing about reading aloud is that parents can adjust the story for their individual children’s tolerances.
Elsa Beskow’s Illustrations in the The Sun Egg are Wonderful
As always, when picking a read-aloud book, I want a book with a ton of colorful illustrations to keep my daughter’s attention. Every page of this 32-page picture book is filled with beautiful illustrations. Typically one page of the spread features a black-and-white sketch, along with the text, while the next page is a full-page colored illustration that goes along with the text.
Another factor to consider when buying children books is can you comfortably read the book at a distance so the child can follow along and look at the pictures. The bigger edition of the The Sun Egg is perfect for reading aloud. The text is large enough that it can be seen from a distance. There is the perfect amount of text on a page, giving children a chance to appreciate the illustrations without too much time elapsing before the page is turned. Page length is especially important when trying to keep a toddler’s attention.
I know, the sun has dropped an egg and she can’t see it because the cloud’s in the way.
The Small Elf
Like many Elsa Beskow’s stories, I recommend this book to anyone with children who love nature. It is also a great story if your child is into fairies.
Where to Buy The Sun Egg
You can buy the full-sized version of The Sun Egg at Amazon.
The Sun Egg is also available in a Mini-Edition and as part of a set at Amazon. The set includes Peter in Blueberry Land, Around the Year, Ollie’s Ski Trip and The Sun Egg.
Other Great Picture Books by Elsa Beskow
Peter in Blueberry Land
The story follows Peter on a journey to get blueberries for his mother. As typical of Elsa Beskow books, nature and magical creatures take center stage.
Thumbelina
This is a beautifully illustrated version of one of Hans Christian Andersen’s classics.
The Flowers’ Festival
A great book for learning about the summer flowers, this story follows the adventures of Lisa who is invited to the Midsummer festival held by the anthropomorphic flowers. Warning: this one can be hard to read if you are not familiar with the various flower names.
Around the Year
This is less of a story in the traditional sense and more of a collection of poems. It is beautifully illustrated and is a great way to teach about the months of the year. Again, the cyclical nature of the year and seasons is emphasized. Please note, this book does have some Christian undertones.
Children of the Forest
One of Elsa Beskow’s best books, the story follows the adventures of four small children of the forest. You can read my review of Children of the Forest here.
The Land of Long Ago
A great adventure story for little kids. Two children are whisked away to the Land of Long Ago by a log that turned into a dragon. Traditional fairy tale elements abound, including trolls, princesses, and knights.
Princess Sylvie
A cute, quick story about a princess who gets lost in the woods and befriends a bear.
Woody, Hazel and Little Pip
One of the longer books by Elsa Beskow, the story follows the adventures of two acorn children. As typical of Elsa Beskow books, nature and magical creatures take center stage.