After years at sea, a large turtle heaves herself up the beach to lay eggs in the warm dunes.

We begin with a mother turtle burying her eggs on the sandy beach, carefully covering them, and her tracks, to keep them safe. We then dive under the sea to find a mother mud crab who has tucked in her tail flap to carry millions of tiny eggs. She will swim far out to sea where she will shake them loose in the grassy sea bed.

As we turn the pages, we meet more mothers caring for their eggs. An echidna with her eggs in her pouch and the platypus who curls bill to tail over her eggs to keep them warm. A crocodile has kept her eggs in the muddy nest. As her eggs grow soft, and the babies begin to chirp, she carries them gently to shore in her mouth and guards them until they hatch.

Each page leads you onto the next unique egg-laying mother caring for her babies. We see how different they all are in where they live, how they care for their eggs and how many they lay. In the back of the book, we discover a glossary and further little ‘easter eggs’ of information about sizes of clutches and time to hatch for extra animals from butterflies to snails to the eastern brown snake.

Hatch is a most beautifully told story with just as magic illustrations that fills your heart with love and wonderment of our world.

Reviewed by Jane Stephens

Age Guide 5+

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’ve always loved to draw, but it wasn’t until I had three small children and a towering picture book collection that I decided to try my hand at illustration. Six months later, I landed my first picture book contract and began writing soon after.

Based in Brisbane, I write quirky playful stories and illustrate digitally using watercolour brushes. When I’m not writing or illustrating, I can be found covered in clay, working as a production potter while I dream up new characters to bring to life.

Having worked as an illustrator with nine different publishers over as many years, I’ve accumulated considerable knowledge, skills and experience that I love to pass on.

Visit Heidi Cooper Smith’s website