Oona Finds an Egg

The Oodlethunks #1

by Adele Griffin, Mike Wu (Illustrations)

Oona has found a very special egg. She'll do anything to protect this egg until it hatches. Then she can find out what's inside, even though it might just gobble her up!

Little brother Thunk, smelly Bruce Brute, and other grimy Cro-Magnony hands in her West Wog world, all want Oona's treasure. More than anything, Oona wants something of her very own to care for.

Genres: Dinosaurs, Childrens, Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2016

About the author

from Wikipedia:

Adele Griffin is the author of over thirty highly-acclaimed books across a variety of genres, including Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, both National Book Award Finalists.

Her debut adult novel The Favor explores themes of friendship, surrogacy, and nontraditional family building.

Find her on TikTok at @adelegriffinbooks and Instagram at @adelegriffin or www.adelegriffin.


website: www.adelegriffin.com


Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/adelegriffi...

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adele-G...


Open Road Media interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSa3P...

Reviews

[Brody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did you call Stegy a she but it is a boy? I can't believe that Bonk knew who had eggy! It is a good book.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did this fun story as a read aloud with a small group of fifth graders. They loved it and really got a kick out of the humor and parallels to modern life (sibling rivalry, bullies, friendship, desire for a pet). They want to read the sequel next.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old daughter and I read this together and she loved it! Her favorite part was finding out what was in the egg. Now we're excited about book two.

[MrsK Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way too much fun! This is a definite read aloud for any 2nd-3rd grade classroom.
Not only are the characters delightful, spunky, and full of inquisitiveness, they are a quirky family that you want to revisit.
Set in an age of dinosaurs and complete disarray, life could not be more inviting. Who wouldn't want to see what type of creature is growing within Oona's egg. Oona may want something of her own to take care of, yet what hatches might be the one true creature that will be looking after Oona.

Have fun sharing this story. I'm looking forward to many more adventures with the Oodlethunks!
MrsK

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my son as a read aloud and it was adorable. We actually both enjoyed it and are looking forward to continuing with the series. My son loves dinosaurs, so he was especially intrigued as to what could be in the egg. that Oona found. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, too. Plus, it's Adele Griffin!?!? Full review to come.

[Jurene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this due to the sheer fact that the name is phonetically similar to my child's name. The book is full of gimmicks and products placement tactics. The brother and sister are unkind to each other, and the story was not interesting enough for my targeted child to hold her interest. Maybe we will revisit this when my oldest is older.

[Malisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by a student. It is a cute story with great illustrations. A fun read for younger students.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this 3.5. Great illustrations throughout that kids will love. This is the start to a fun series whether or not you are Dino-crazy. Appealing to K-3.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story to read with my 9-year-old daughter. She really enjoyed it and requested the second book as soon as we finished the first.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is ah-door-ah-bull!
I kept saying Erma Gurd over and over and giggling.

[MonsterM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read. I liked reading about Oona finding a dinosaur egg and finding out what kind of dinosaur pet she now has.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute read aloud with my kids who love the Croods.

[Kelsey McLane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great read for the summer! Oona is a character readers will fall in love with. She's strong, she's sassy, she's smart, and she really cares about this enormous egg she's found! This pre-historic tale is all about taking care of pets, getting along with siblings, and trying to do the right thing.

There are many things I love about this story, and Oona is the main reason. She loves her egg, and the story is built around the suspense of what could be inside the egg! Is it a T-Rex? A raptor? Some other really dangerous creature? Oona is determined to make sure the egg is as comfortable as it can be.

Secondly, I love Oona's relationship with her little brother--they fight, which is the reason for the problem in this story, but the author makes sure to show how much they care for one another, how they are able to make up after their fight, and how they work together to solve the bigger problem.

I love Bruce Brute, the disgusting, irritating kid that hangs around trying to figure out all of Oona's secrets. Not only can Bruce Brute pick his nose with his tongue, he is the "bad kid" who is trying to take Oona's egg! He is a good "villain" in this story, and of course, the author ends the book with a solid ending that leaves its readers happy and satisfied!

[DPM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book over! So funny!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I've recently encountered several books in which a prehistoric creature makes its way into a child's life, this one was still pretty charming, mostly because of the asides about the father's experiments with recipes and the mother's involvement in pitching a new invention--the wheel--to possible buyers despite the fact that it seems to have no function. Most of the rest of the story is predictable but still amusing. Oona finds an egg and takes care of it, hoping it will hatch and she will have a pet, but when the egg disappears, she is afraid of what might have happened to it. Since Bruce Brute, one of her neighbors, has been depicted and smelly, readers won't be surprised at how things turn out. This story, set in a small community called Woggle, is also accompanied by artwork that adds quite a bit of detail and enables readers to imagine what Oona's world might be like. The whole book made me smile.

[Staci Libenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from a giveaway for my daughter. She finished it in one day and wants to read it again. She is 7 years old and is obsessed with dinosaurs!! So this review is from her own words.
She says the book reminded her of the movie The Croods and she loves the characters, especially the dinosaur. Her favorite part was when the dinosaur hatched from her egg. She enjoyed the illustrations and the character summaries. I also thought that it was a cute and clever way to make the children more interested in the story. She found the book very interesting and can not wait for my books to come on the Oodlethunks. I will be purchasing them in the future but am thankful I was able to win such a cute book for her! Thank you.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When Oona starts the fun, Bonkster gets it done."

All Oona wants is a pet of her own, but baby brother Bonk is allergic. One day, she finds an egg out in the wild and decides to take it home. "Oona, that was risky," Dad warned. "Remember, in West Woggle, what you can't eat might eat you." But Oona is determined to take care of the egg until it can hatch into something cute. And while Bonk insists it is only a fossil and her parents don't want her to get her hopes up, Oona cares for her egg with love and enthusiasm. Not even the presence of Bruce Brute can dampen Oona's mood. Until the egg disappears.

This was one that my students brought to me. They love it. It's a fun mix of "cave kids" and current-day attitude. "Oh, he's so primordial."

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of the Flintstones show, this first title in the new "The Oodlethunks" chapter book series takes life in the prehistoric times into modern times with the hipster prehistoric Oodlethunk family. Focusing on young Oona who wants a pet that will fit in her family, with her annoying hyper-allergic little brother Bonk, she knows her choices are limited. Oona is thrilled when she finds an egg, hoping maybe it will hatch into a wonderful surprise pet for her. With plenty of action, and lots of informative facts about plants and dinosaurs of long ago, this adventurous tale will find a welcome audience eager for a sequel. This is quite a switch from Adele Griffin's popular Witch Twins audience, but the magic is just as pleasurable.

[Cynthia Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in prehistoric times, Oona desperately desires to have a pet, but her baby brother has an allergy and therefore pets are not an option for Oona's family. Oona finds an abandoned egg and manages to bring it home to care for until it hatches. All goes well, till the local bully learns of Oona's find and plots to steal the egg, to incubate and raise the creature for himself. Oona confronts him and the egg hatches right there before their eyes and the eyes of both sets of parents. Oona is able to woo the baby stegasaur back home and Oona is thrilled to now have a pet of her own. Fun reading for 2nd or 3rd grade, would be a perfect read aloud for advanced 1st graders as well. This should not be on the shelf very long at all.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oodlethunks remind me of the Flintstones because it is a fun mix of prehistoric and modern times. Griffin does a fine job of giving the setting and the dialog a caveman feel. In book one, Oona, a young girl, really wants a pet. One day when she is trying to find her way home, she stumbles upon a mysterious egg. Is it a fossil? Is it a python? Or possibly, could it be the pet of her dreams?! Oona tenderly cares for Eggy until one day it goes missing. There is a little sibling drama thrown in but mostly it is about a girl and her longing for a pet. The story and illustrations are a perfect match and this series is sure to be a hit.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oona really wants a pet fruitafossors, but her little brother is allergic to fruitafossors. Then one stormy night she finds an egg on her way home. Between a battle with her neighbor BruceBrutes, her pesky brother Bonk, and her best friend Erma's new baby fruitafossor, Oona finds herself with the formidable responsibility of keeping an egg alive and hoping it doesn't hatch into a raptor or something even worse!

[Sarah Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oona is a cave-girl who has always wanted a pet, but her little brother is allergic to most common cave-pets. When she finds an abandoned egg she decides to hatch it and raise the animal inside as her new pet. But, what if what is inside wants to eat her? Oona is willing to take that chance until her egg goes missing and she may lose all chance of ever having a pet. First in a new series.
Good for ages 8 and up.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oona really wants a pet, but her brother Bonk is allergic to everything. Oona finds an egg one night and adventures in raising an egg ensue. When the egg goes missing, Oona is frantically on the hunt.

My 7 year old thought this book was great! It was a cute read. We really enjoyed Oona's family and found many parts of the book funny with the references to modern times.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I adore the illustrations and coloring of the book; it really sets the tone for the story. I also feel like most dinosaur books are geared towards boys and I love that this main character is a girl. While it wasn't my favorite story, I certainly think there will be a wait list for it in my library. :-)

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oona Oodlethunks wants a pet so bad, but her little brother, Bonk, is allergic to fruitafossors. But one dark and stormy night she hauls an orphan egg she finds back to her cave. When the egg disappears, Oona is devastated and vows not to stop until she finds her eggy again even though she's not even sure it will ever hatch!

[Janyre Tromp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, quick read with great illustrations. There's a great opportunity to talk about bullies and sibling rivalry too. Oona and her little brother, Bonk, are well-developed characters with strengths and flaws and ambition. Both my 7-year-old boy and my 10-year-old girl liked this one.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and sweet story about Oona who wants a pet. She lives in prehistoric times. What I really like about this story is that it's TRULY a children's book. Nothing adult-like was thrown in this one. It's funny and adorable!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I didn't think much of it. But then I got to the part about the wheel being not just a wheel and how to market it and I was hooked. All in all, a classic story of what happens when you annoy your sibling.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book with lots of gross humor.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early chapter book with prehistoric setting. Harkens back to the Flintstones. Tried too hard. The story did not succeed in holding my interest.