Henrietta And The Golden Eggs (edition 2004)

Do you dream the impossible dream? Meet Henrietta . . . She lives in a cramped, smelly, sickly chicken house with 3,332 other chickens. Henrietta is determined to learn to sing, swim, and fly until she is old enough to achieve her dream of laying golden eggs. The other chickens laugh at her meager attempts, but Henrietta ignores the criticism and leads the chickens to a better life. Henrietta’s true motivations are revealed when she finally lays a brown egg, and responds to the laughs of the chickens by saying, “Did you really believe that a chicken could lay golden eggs?” By aiming for the impossible, Henrietta empowers the other chickens to rebel against the status quo and dream their own dreams.
Käthi Bhend’s expressionistic pen and ink drawings detail the strength and persistence of Henrietta’s desire to go against the flow and lead the chickens to a better life. The gold page numbers and borders contrast the black and white illustrations, symbolizing Henrietta’s leadership and individualism.
Originally written in German by John S. Barrett and translated by Hanna Johansen, Henrietta and the Golden Eggs, is a great example of how one person can affect the lives of many through persistence and believing in oneself. The patterns in the story resemble the “I think I can” mentality of The Little Engine that Could, but the narrative appeals to older readers. Recommended for grades 4-9.
 Award:
o Mildred L. Batchelder Award, Honor Book, 2003 ( )