Happy World Egg Day!
Yes, it’s World Egg Day, a day for celebrating and informing the world about eggs and their benefits. (There are actually a LOT of food-based holidays throughout the year. Humans really like food!) So today I’m going to briefly talk about Millie’s Chickens, a sweet book about raising happy hens and where eggs come from.
Millie’s Chickens by Brenda Williams and Valeria Cis.
Millie’s Chickens is a short, easy-to-read book with the story told in rhyme. It takes you throughout Millie’s day and night as she takes care of her chickens and gathers their eggs. The end of the book is packed with information about chickens — different breeds, anatomy, how to raise happy ones — and eggs — how to gather them, different parts of an egg, and how to cook them!
Keeping chickens has become pretty popular recently; I know a bunch of people who do so, both for the chickens’ eggs and because chickens make great pets! I think a lot of people are wanting to become more self-sufficient and finding alternate ways of providing for themselves. Millie’s Chickens, as a companion book to The Beeman (which talks about beekeeping and where honey comes from), is a great introduction for children to the world of chicken-raising.
Also, I personally think we need to teach kids where their food comes from. We’re rather disconnected from that reality in modern society, and I don’t think it’s good for us, emotionally. Millie’s Chickens will teach kids where eggs come from, which in turn engenders empathy and respect for the animals that bring us those eggs.
Do you raise chickens, or have you ever thought about starting?
-Katje