Chris Judge’s Beast – enormous, black, hairy – is an irresistible character, and hugely comic. Here he’s presented with a special challenge: opening his door to get his newspaper, he finds an egg. He’s never been given an egg before and isn’t very sure how to look after it but tries his best in scenes that will have young children squealing with laughter (especially those with a baby brother or sister). Fortunately, the egg accidentally lands in hospital where kindly Dr Yoko provides useful advice. More fun and games follows when to the Beast’s huge surprises, the egg hatches. Though very silly indeed the story is perfectly told, maintaining suspense and delivering its surprises with eggspert comic timing, and will bear multiple readings.
When an egg arrives on his doorstep, Beast doesn't quite know what to do: feed it? Take it for a nice long walk? Drop it? Doctor Yoko tells him he must keep it warm and just wait, but exactly what he's waiting for is a mystery to the Beast…
Side-splitting humour from award-winning Chris Judge: adults will recognise (some of) Beast's first-time child-care mistakes, while children laugh out loud.
This is the fourth in the award-winning Beast series, following The Lonely Beast, The Brave Beast and The Snow Beast.
Praise for The Lonely Beast: 'Judge tells a familiar tale but illustrates it with uncommon style and verve.' New York Times