The Last Egg by Sofie Laguna, Jess Racklyeft

Title: The Last Egg

Author: Sofie Laguna, Jess Racklyeft

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 3^rd June 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: When Mother Bird and Father Bird discover a large blue egg in their nest, they treat it as their own. A beautiful story about love and kindness and loyalty in the face of adversity, from the award-winning creators of many much-loved picture books including Iceberg and When You’re Older.

Mother Bird sat over her eggs.
‘Not long now,’ she said to Father Bird.
Father Bird brought her worms and seeds.
‘Not long at all.’

When an extra egg appears in their nest and takes too long to hatch, Mother Bird and Father Bird must risk their lives to keep it warm.

And as the freezing winter takes hold and it seems all hope is lost, only something miraculous will save them.

A gorgeous and heartwarming picture book about love, commitment and discovery from an outstanding creative team: Sofie Laguna, acclaimed author of When You’re Older, and Jess Racklyeft, award-winning illustrator of Iceberg.

~*~

Mother Bird and Father Bird are ready to see their three little eggs hatch – it’s almost time for them to hatch and fly away. Except…the last egg that appeared in the nest, and is taking too long to hatch. Why? And what happens when Mother and Father Bird can’t leave the egg? Winter is setting in and the egg still won’t hatch. But when it does, things change, and are much more different than mother and father bird ever expected.

The Last Egg is a beautiful story about family and caring, and the sacrifices we make to look after people who don’t look like us, but are still family in many other ways. It is also about community, and coming together to create a loving environment for children, helping people when they need it, and coming together when things get dire to ensure the vulnerable are not left behind.

This is a story about letting go and moving on as well- learning when it is time to let your children fly, and when it is time to step in for them. But also reflects a communal message, where different people and communities come together to help each other, use their resources selflessly and repay the kindness someone else has shown them – even if they don’t realise what they have done to help at first. It’s a story about unity in a world where there doesn’t seem to be much at the moment.

Everything in this book is full of love and discovery, as well as commitment to being the best people and parents someone can be in the world today. It is a beautiful testimony to the power of love and how people can come together to make the world a better place.