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The Enormous Egg
Nate Twitchell finds a huge egg and hatches it to see what kind of animal comes out. To his surprise, it's a dinosaur! Now the U.S. Government thinks Nate's pet is a danger to the nation and wants it destroyed. How can Nate keep the creature hidden when it weighs over six tons?
Scholastic Book Club no. TX 306.
Scholastic Book Club no. TX 306.
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
78 people are currently reading
2287 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Butterworth
8 books9 followersButterworth was born in Hartford, Connecticut and spent much of his life as a teacher, teaching at Kent School in Kent, Connecticut from 1937 to 1947 and Junior School in West Hartford, Connecticut from 1947 to 1949. Additionally, beginning in 1947, he taught English at Hartford College for Women in Hartford, Connecticut until the late 1980s.
Butterworth was an author of many children's books, most of which took place in the New England area of the United States in which he was born and raised.
His most popular book was The Enormous Egg, the fanciful story of farmboy Nate Twitchell who raises a dinosaur (a Triceratops named "Uncle Beazley") that hatches from a hen's egg in 1950s New England.
Butterworth died of cancer in West Hartford, aged 75.
Butterworth was an author of many children's books, most of which took place in the New England area of the United States in which he was born and raised.
His most popular book was The Enormous Egg, the fanciful story of farmboy Nate Twitchell who raises a dinosaur (a Triceratops named "Uncle Beazley") that hatches from a hen's egg in 1950s New England.
Butterworth died of cancer in West Hartford, aged 75.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
November 9, 2021
The writing is decent if a bit dry, but wow is there disappointingly little dinosaur page time! Or personality! I came here for the dinosaur, man.
November 7, 2019
Out-of-date and sexist, not to mention implausible. But it does include this: "No, Joe, a scientist doesn't know all the answers. Nobody does, not even teachers. But a scientist keeps on trying to find the answers." And that's a good thing, so, I say, sure, read it if you like.
Otoh, I remember now that I didn't actually like it all that much when I was a kid, either.
Otoh, I remember now that I didn't actually like it all that much when I was a kid, either.
March 23, 2008
I love this book - it's one of my all-time favorites, childhood or otherwise! As this story begins, Nate Twitchell, a nine-year-old boy living with his family in the small rural town of Franconia Notch, notices that one of the family's hens seems to be swelling up like a balloon. One morning, Nate goes out to the henhouse and finds the hen, now normal-sized, pacing up and down in front of her nest "in a kind of daze". Small wonder - this perfectly ordinary chicken has just laid an egg the size of a cantaloupe! Baffled by the size of the egg and its peculiar "leathery" shell, the Twitchells report the strange incident to the local newspaper, and Nate and his egg wind up on the front page. A week later, a paleontologist from the Smithsonian Institution, who's vacationing in Franconia Notch to do a little fishing, asks to see the enormous egg. Upon closely examining the egg, and determining that its contents are very much alive, the scientist - without revealing his guess as to what's inside it - entreats the Twitchells to keep a close guard on the egg, protecting it carefully from predators or anything else that might harm it. Puzzled by the scientist's controlled but obvious excitement, the Twitchells oblige without quite understanding what the fuss is all about. One early morning several weeks later, "what the fuss is all about" is spelled out to them in no uncertain terms as Nate, on his usual crack-of-dawn visit to check the egg, discovers a newborn triceratops in the nest! The lovable descriptions of Nate's first experiences with his astonishing new pet, and the inevitable media circus it brings to the ordinarily sleepy little town, make for absolutely wonderful reading. I've always wanted to have "Uncle Beazley" as a pet! I've gone back to read this story many times, and each time the tale of the "world's only living dinosaur" is just as good as the first time I read it. Not to be missed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2013
I remember reading this book when I was younger and thinking, "Holy Crap! You mean this is all I have to do to get a pet dinosaur??!!" And then I learned the definition of "fiction." I hate books.
Update 1/2013: Re-read this last week, and it's still fun. Also surprised to see that the Dinosaurs-->Birds thing was around in the 1950s.
Update 1/2013: Re-read this last week, and it's still fun. Also surprised to see that the Dinosaurs-->Birds thing was around in the 1950s.
July 30, 2017
How I love Oliver Butterworth! A childhood favorite illustrated by another fav Louis Darling. A wonderfully written, classic and fun story.
August 25, 2023
This was a great read-aloud with my 9 and 7 year olds.
June 10, 2019
Here's a fun read!
When Nate goes out to the chicken coop early one morning, he is startled at seeing one of the hens perched atop an unusually enormous egg! What will be even more shocking is what hatches out of it! And boy, is Nate excited. A kid hasn't had this kind of a pet ... in well, ... a really, really long time!
Sprinkled with humor and funny characters throughout, kids will enjoy imagining what it would be like to have such a pet themselves.
Ages: 10+
Cleanliness: Gosh, Gee, Golly and the like are used throughout the book. A man, without thinking, offers a kid a cigarette and then changes his mind. Whiskey is mentioned. Millions and millions of years in the earth's history is mentioned.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
When Nate goes out to the chicken coop early one morning, he is startled at seeing one of the hens perched atop an unusually enormous egg! What will be even more shocking is what hatches out of it! And boy, is Nate excited. A kid hasn't had this kind of a pet ... in well, ... a really, really long time!
Sprinkled with humor and funny characters throughout, kids will enjoy imagining what it would be like to have such a pet themselves.
Ages: 10+
Cleanliness: Gosh, Gee, Golly and the like are used throughout the book. A man, without thinking, offers a kid a cigarette and then changes his mind. Whiskey is mentioned. Millions and millions of years in the earth's history is mentioned.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
May 12, 2011
My friend Mary Kate kept telling me this was a great book and she was right. The ending was the best -- a dinosaur hatches out of the egg and they end up moving him to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Well a committee of congressmen find out and decide that keeping a dinosaur is too expensive. The speeches of the politicians about protecting American children and saving taxpayer money are very funny, and heartbreaking in that they sound just as sensible as our current representives:
"This animal does not belong in our National Zoological Park. He is not an American animal, and our national Zoo is no place for him. We must not maintain foreignfreaks at the public expense. Lions, tigers, giraffes--all the proper animals yes. But no un-American, outmoded creatures from foreign places. Dinosaurs are extinct, aren't they? Do you want people to get the false idea that such things still exist right here in America? ... I see my duty. Today in the Senate I shall propose legislation to make it unlawful to keep any out-of-date, unusual, or unlikely animals in the National Sorr or in the National Parks or anywhere within the borders of the United States or its possessions." (p. 154-5)
"I always feel so helpless when I get tangled up with Congress, I just don't understand how their minds work. I know an Archaeopteryx when I see one, and I can tell an Ichthyosaur from a Plesiosaur, or a Trilobite from a Grapolite, but I don't know anything about Senators." (Dr. Ziemer on p. 156)
There is also a great NH description toward the end of the book when Nate returns home:
"It was one of those terrific days that you get sometimes up here in October. The sky was so blue you could hardly believe it, and everywhere you looked you could see all those bright red and yellow leaves against the sky. It looked as if Nature had put everything she had into making one really perfect day. Even the smells were perfect--a mixture of smoke from across the street, and that dry smell of leaves on the ground, and the smell of warm grass and dirt in the sunshine, and just on the edge of it all, the faintest whiff of sweet cider." (p. 185-6)
"This animal does not belong in our National Zoological Park. He is not an American animal, and our national Zoo is no place for him. We must not maintain foreignfreaks at the public expense. Lions, tigers, giraffes--all the proper animals yes. But no un-American, outmoded creatures from foreign places. Dinosaurs are extinct, aren't they? Do you want people to get the false idea that such things still exist right here in America? ... I see my duty. Today in the Senate I shall propose legislation to make it unlawful to keep any out-of-date, unusual, or unlikely animals in the National Sorr or in the National Parks or anywhere within the borders of the United States or its possessions." (p. 154-5)
"I always feel so helpless when I get tangled up with Congress, I just don't understand how their minds work. I know an Archaeopteryx when I see one, and I can tell an Ichthyosaur from a Plesiosaur, or a Trilobite from a Grapolite, but I don't know anything about Senators." (Dr. Ziemer on p. 156)
There is also a great NH description toward the end of the book when Nate returns home:
"It was one of those terrific days that you get sometimes up here in October. The sky was so blue you could hardly believe it, and everywhere you looked you could see all those bright red and yellow leaves against the sky. It looked as if Nature had put everything she had into making one really perfect day. Even the smells were perfect--a mixture of smoke from across the street, and that dry smell of leaves on the ground, and the smell of warm grass and dirt in the sunshine, and just on the edge of it all, the faintest whiff of sweet cider." (p. 185-6)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2012
A piece on NPR on guilty reading pleasures led me to re-read The Enormous Egg. As with so many things aimed at children, much of Butterworth’s commentary is way over their little heads. On the surface, this is a simple, very funny story about a farm family in Freedom, New Hampshire. One of their hens lays an enormous, funny looking egg. Nate is determined to do whatever it takes to hatch the egg. Since it is too big for the bemused hen to turn, he goes out to the barn every three hours to turn the egg for her. When the egg finally hatches, everyone is surprised to find that it looks just like a very small dinosaur. A paleontologist happens to be vacationing at a farm down the road and is very interested in the hatchling. Nate takes good care of Uncle Beazley, as they name the little guy, but he soon grows out of his pen and even out of the barn. A plan is formed to take the triceratops to Washington DC and Nate gets to go along to see him settled in. What happens when Congress finds out about Uncle Beazley is where the grown-up part of the story kicks in. At Senate hearings Senator Granderson fulminates “He is not an American animal, and our National Zoo is no place for him. We must not maintain foreign freaks at the public expense. Lions, tigers, giraffes – all the proper animals, yes. But no un-American, outmoded creatures from foreign places. The dinosaurs are extinct, aren’t they? Do you want people to get the false idea that such things still exist, right here in America?” At this point, I checked, and sure enough, the book was written in 1956. I think the phrase un-American was a clue. Anyway, the things those Senators say and do are simply amazing, and not in a good way. This was a fun book to re-read and enjoy as I did when I was young, and also had some interesting things to say about politics, politicians and Washington DC in general.
December 8, 2013
This is not one of those classics that stands the test of time. It is full of weird gender stuff (girls do not like dinosaurs, only want to become telephone operators or homemakers) and old white scientists who smoke too much. The premise seems interesting, but the story is boring, takes too long to go anywhere and while the idea of a dinosaur is neat, there is no emotional attachment to the creature by Nate, only a sense of entitled ownership. I quit. boo.
October 28, 2017
3.5 stars, probably. Fun fantasy for any kid to own a dinosaur, but what I loved was how this dinosaur becomes a matter of federal policy. Democracy springs into action. How will Uncle Beasley fare? You’ll have to read to find out.
November 8, 2018
like the book. interesting story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2018
My kids’ elementary school read this for their school-wide read and then they wanted me to read it to them. I’m disappointed that school picked a book with so many sexist elements (honestly the way the mom and sister were written was the worst). Maybe it made sense in its day, but it can be consigned to the dustbin of history and we’d all be better off.
Want to read
January 29, 2009I SO would have loved a baby triceratops when I was little!
April 3, 2019
I loved, loved, loved this book as a boy. The triceratops was (and still is) my favorite dino, and I first read this book on the family farm I stayed at every summer. My primary chore back then was to take care of the chickens, so the idea that a chicken would lay an egg that would hatch a triceratops felt like it was written just for me.
It is, of course, patently ridiculous, but Triceratops is technically a member of the ornithischian (“bird-hipped”) branch of dinosaurs, which is no doubt where Butterworth got the idea. Now, of course, we know that birds are descended from dinosaurs, but they are confusingly (and somewhat ironically) descended from the saurischian, or “reptile-hipped”, dinos. A more accurate version of this story would therefore have the chicken egg hatch a tiny T. rex or velociraptor. 🦖
I. Don’t. Care.
I want a triceratops to ride around on. 😄
It is, of course, patently ridiculous, but Triceratops is technically a member of the ornithischian (“bird-hipped”) branch of dinosaurs, which is no doubt where Butterworth got the idea. Now, of course, we know that birds are descended from dinosaurs, but they are confusingly (and somewhat ironically) descended from the saurischian, or “reptile-hipped”, dinos. A more accurate version of this story would therefore have the chicken egg hatch a tiny T. rex or velociraptor. 🦖
I. Don’t. Care.
I want a triceratops to ride around on. 😄
November 29, 2018
The whole family enjoyed this story as a read aloud. 💗
September 15, 2025
Cute story recommended by my 8th grader.
September 18, 2019
Quick read aloud with my 12 year old. This was solid fun and sparked a lot more conversation than I anticipated. The outdated gender roles and general science-y feelings of the 50’s vs today presented great moments to stop and discuss.
January 17, 2022
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Nate Twitchell is shocked when one of his family's hens lays an enormous egg unlike any he has seen before. Once the egg hatches, Nate becomes immediately attached to the creature inside it and becomes determined to care for it himself for as long as possible. When the government eventually gets involved, Nate continues to act in the best interest of his new friend, all while experiencing firsthand an amazing scientific experience.
This book takes a completely implausible premise (hatching a dinosaur from a chicken egg) and makes it fully believable. At every stage of the growth of the hatchling, the characters react exactly as ordinary people would when faced with the same set of circumstances. They are surprised, skeptical, and scared, but they also rise to the challenge of their unique problem and begin looking for ways to keep the creature safe while also gaining any scientific insights they can. The tone of the story is just detached enough to make it feel like a scientific report, but also emotional enough to help the reader understand Nate's fondness for the dinosaur, and his difficulty in letting him go as he ages. Though the story sounds ridiculous, it repeatedly resists becoming so, and the entire matter of the enormous egg and its contents is resolved without its ever becoming laughable.
The Enormous Egg reminds me a lot of the Henry Reed books by Keith Robertson, mostly because of the narrator's stubborn approach to caring for his egg, and because of the strongly masculine flavor of the writing and the story. This would be a great family read-aloud, especially since dinosaurs tend to interest preschoolers as much as they do teens and adults, but it's also perfect for independent reading, especially for kids whose skills are advanced but who are not ready for the more mature content of some middle grade novels. It's a compelling story well told, and a new/old favorite for me.
Nate Twitchell is shocked when one of his family's hens lays an enormous egg unlike any he has seen before. Once the egg hatches, Nate becomes immediately attached to the creature inside it and becomes determined to care for it himself for as long as possible. When the government eventually gets involved, Nate continues to act in the best interest of his new friend, all while experiencing firsthand an amazing scientific experience.
This book takes a completely implausible premise (hatching a dinosaur from a chicken egg) and makes it fully believable. At every stage of the growth of the hatchling, the characters react exactly as ordinary people would when faced with the same set of circumstances. They are surprised, skeptical, and scared, but they also rise to the challenge of their unique problem and begin looking for ways to keep the creature safe while also gaining any scientific insights they can. The tone of the story is just detached enough to make it feel like a scientific report, but also emotional enough to help the reader understand Nate's fondness for the dinosaur, and his difficulty in letting him go as he ages. Though the story sounds ridiculous, it repeatedly resists becoming so, and the entire matter of the enormous egg and its contents is resolved without its ever becoming laughable.
The Enormous Egg reminds me a lot of the Henry Reed books by Keith Robertson, mostly because of the narrator's stubborn approach to caring for his egg, and because of the strongly masculine flavor of the writing and the story. This would be a great family read-aloud, especially since dinosaurs tend to interest preschoolers as much as they do teens and adults, but it's also perfect for independent reading, especially for kids whose skills are advanced but who are not ready for the more mature content of some middle grade novels. It's a compelling story well told, and a new/old favorite for me.
February 2, 2019
Very big meh.
I adore dinosaurs and it would be a dream come true to find a dinosaur egg. That said, this plot was exceedingly lame.
I know people will say “keep in mind when it was written” and I was and I still did not like it. Just because a book is old doesn’t mean it can’t last through time. This one does not.
It’s completely sexist. The women are all ridiculous. A dinosaur was just born and the mom only seems to care that supper is served on time. Another neighbor lady is “frightened” of the baby dinosaur.
All the scientists are old white men that smoke too much. Again, I get that was typical of the era but why, pray tell, are they using this on the list for Battle of the Books? This is a book that should be left to its own era, there are much better books to use.
I guess that’s my biggest complaint. A national book competition should not be using books that would now-a-days be considered sexist. I don’t care what people thought when it was written. It’s not the 1950s anymore, thank goodness.
The senators were dumb, but I’m not sure how much I disagree with that sentiment. What really blew my mind was that no one seemed to know what a triceratops was. Was that typical of the time period? Just another sign of how this book did not age well. Even my 2-year old niece knows what a triceratops is.
Sigh. Hopefully they’ll update the Battle of the Books list with more inclusive titles.
I adore dinosaurs and it would be a dream come true to find a dinosaur egg. That said, this plot was exceedingly lame.
I know people will say “keep in mind when it was written” and I was and I still did not like it. Just because a book is old doesn’t mean it can’t last through time. This one does not.
It’s completely sexist. The women are all ridiculous. A dinosaur was just born and the mom only seems to care that supper is served on time. Another neighbor lady is “frightened” of the baby dinosaur.
All the scientists are old white men that smoke too much. Again, I get that was typical of the era but why, pray tell, are they using this on the list for Battle of the Books? This is a book that should be left to its own era, there are much better books to use.
I guess that’s my biggest complaint. A national book competition should not be using books that would now-a-days be considered sexist. I don’t care what people thought when it was written. It’s not the 1950s anymore, thank goodness.
The senators were dumb, but I’m not sure how much I disagree with that sentiment. What really blew my mind was that no one seemed to know what a triceratops was. Was that typical of the time period? Just another sign of how this book did not age well. Even my 2-year old niece knows what a triceratops is.
Sigh. Hopefully they’ll update the Battle of the Books list with more inclusive titles.
November 18, 2025
This adorable kids book is one I have been re-reading for years. Written in the 1950's it is suited to twelve year olds from the 1950's or adults who have a sense of fun.
Nate Twittchell is twelve years old and in grade six, living with his incredibly wholesome all American family in a small town in New Hampshire, when one spring one of their chickens lays an enormous egg. It is leathery and unlike a chicken egg and when after weeks of work both for the chicken and Nate it hatches, it hatches into a Triceratops.
Beautifully written, with spectacular illustrations by Louis Darling this has some somewhat acerbic comments on capitalism, politicians and the political system, on humanity in general and stupidity in particular. There are gentle digs at the teaching profession (Butterworth and his wife were both teachers) as well as at scientists and the scientific community.
There is a lot more here for adults than I remembered, aside from the fun adventure and the good writing.
Nate Twittchell is twelve years old and in grade six, living with his incredibly wholesome all American family in a small town in New Hampshire, when one spring one of their chickens lays an enormous egg. It is leathery and unlike a chicken egg and when after weeks of work both for the chicken and Nate it hatches, it hatches into a Triceratops.
Beautifully written, with spectacular illustrations by Louis Darling this has some somewhat acerbic comments on capitalism, politicians and the political system, on humanity in general and stupidity in particular. There are gentle digs at the teaching profession (Butterworth and his wife were both teachers) as well as at scientists and the scientific community.
There is a lot more here for adults than I remembered, aside from the fun adventure and the good writing.
September 9, 2016
What would YOU do if a dinosaur hatched in your backyard? Nate Twitchell and his family can give you a few ideas. This charming story is entertaining and imaginative. I can see why it is considered a classic and really enjoyed reading it for this year's Battle of the Books.
April 26, 2019
Nate, un joven de New Hampshire, vive con sus padres y su hermana en una granja. Nate está de vacaciones, y ayuda a sus padres con la granja y las tareas de casa, compaginándolo con su afición a la pesca. Hasta que un día Nate se acerca al nido donde su gallina se encuentra, y descubre que está incubando un enorme huevo. Durante semanas Nate y su padre ayudan a la gallina a mover el huevo para que se mantenga caliente. Casualmente Nate conoce a un hombre que se dedica a la ciencia y lo lleva a su casa para enseñarle el curioso gran huevo. Éste le dice a Nate y a su familia que el huevo corresponde a un huevo de dinosaurio. Cuando el huevo se abre .... Un libro delicioso, tierno y súper conmovedor, si te gustan los animales, esta historia sin lugar a dudas te gustará. Me ha encantado, lo responsable que es el joven protagonista y como le planta cara a todos los inconvenientes que se le presentan, ¡criar a un dinosaurio no es una tarea fácil!
March 1, 2022
Nate lives in the small town of Freedom, New Hampshire, where his family raises chickens. At the beginning of the summer, one of the chickens lays an enormous egg ... and when it finally hatches, Nate has a new pet: a triceratops!
The tone of this book was fun and conversational, and I was more or less enjoying the first half as I read this aloud with my eight-year-old for Battle of the Books. But then entire chapters went by with not a lot happening; the dinosaur is hardly on-page at all. Instead we have pages and pages of legislative efforts by some crazy senators to exterminate Nate's pet triceratops. I'm all for political activism, but this felt like a bait-and-switch! We had to pause the story quite often so I could explain a lot of background to my confused third grader: how bills become law, what senators do, the three branches of government ... not to mention dated technology that I barely know anything about (telegrams and telephone operators).
I did like learning that there is an Uncle Beazley statue in the National Zoo. I guess this is a classic, but mostly it just made me appreciate the fun literature that are on our library shelves now.
The tone of this book was fun and conversational, and I was more or less enjoying the first half as I read this aloud with my eight-year-old for Battle of the Books. But then entire chapters went by with not a lot happening; the dinosaur is hardly on-page at all. Instead we have pages and pages of legislative efforts by some crazy senators to exterminate Nate's pet triceratops. I'm all for political activism, but this felt like a bait-and-switch! We had to pause the story quite often so I could explain a lot of background to my confused third grader: how bills become law, what senators do, the three branches of government ... not to mention dated technology that I barely know anything about (telegrams and telephone operators).
I did like learning that there is an Uncle Beazley statue in the National Zoo. I guess this is a classic, but mostly it just made me appreciate the fun literature that are on our library shelves now.
September 17, 2025
TH1 loves dinosaurs. LOVES them. So when we learned about this book it seemed like a great choice.
It is another old one that doesn't really carry well to today. The portrayals of girls and women were old and made TH1 confused at times (girls CAN like reptiles for example). The dinosaur doesn't do a whole lot. And she didn't care much about Washington, DC.
Her favorite part was when the family is surprised by the dinosaur hatching out. But she said the "most best part" is a spoiler near the end:
So it had some fun stuff. But we're both glad we finished it and can move on.
It is another old one that doesn't really carry well to today. The portrayals of girls and women were old and made TH1 confused at times (girls CAN like reptiles for example). The dinosaur doesn't do a whole lot. And she didn't care much about Washington, DC.
Her favorite part was when the family is surprised by the dinosaur hatching out. But she said the "most best part" is a spoiler near the end:
So it had some fun stuff. But we're both glad we finished it and can move on.
dnf
November 24, 2023We did not finish this. I thought the attraction of the dinosaur would keep my son's attention, but we didn't even get to the dinosaur. We read several chapters, all of which centered on the family waiting for the dinosaur egg to hatch. They waited, and waited, and so did we, attention waning steadily the whole time. There were SO many details, as well. Even a newspaper article quoted in full that rehashed everything we already knew and added nothing. Those first few chapters were excruciating and I felt anxious as I read, knowing my kid was losing interest. I recognize that he is not the ideal reader of this book, and it may be a good story, but for us it didn't work at all.
February 27, 2019
Read this with my son for an all school read. Cute story, but not my favorite.
November 14, 2021
Great book I read as a kid during my 8-year-old dinosaur 'phase'. Library book.
June 29, 2024
Read this aloud at bed time with my 7-year old daughter. She was into it & I have to say that I was too. The politics were as stupid as real life politics today…which made me both laugh & sigh.
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