THE CHERRY TREE EGG

Delayed gratification can lead to more profound gratification down the road. Birchall presents readers with Tortoise, Mole and Weasel, who live under a cherry tree. The fruit is too high for them to pick. They enjoy the cherries that fall to the ground before the birds have eaten them, but they are slim pickings, leaving Weasel in a constant state of hunger. When they find an egg under the tree, Weasel is all for a quick nosh. But Mole and Tortoise are more curious—perhaps merciful—than hungry (and Tortoise’s reptilian brain reminds him that he was an egg once). They stall Weasel’s urgency: Let the egg hatch, they say; let the bird grow into a suitable meal. By then, Weasel has grown fond of the creature. And lo, the bird becomes a carrier of fine cherries from the highest reaches of the tree. A nicely understated story in cheerfully soft colors full of satisfying details. (Picture book. 3-5)