"We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." C.S. Lewis This inspiring quote suggests the story and theme for the first in the Fable Springs Parables Picture Book Series designed for all family-friendly venues. On the outskirts of the idyllic English country village of Fable Springs, visit the setting of Book 1 on MacDonald's Farm for Mother Chicken's Eggs: Choosing to Grow into Greater Things. The tale explores how the choices we make affects our ability to grow into greater things--or not--because, choices have consequences. Everyone on MacDonald's Farm is excited! Mother Chicken has laid three fine eggs with great hopes for each one when they finally hatch! A brown egg with hard bumps and a white egg with dark specks have much to overcome to be able to break through and hatch out of their shell. The warmth Mother Chicken provides, as she tenderly cares for her eggs on the nest, strengthens them to break free. They can now grow into greater things with all the gifts Farmer MacDonald showers upon them. A farmyard full of delightful animal characters celebrates with much fanfare and a party as the new chicks take their useful place on the farm. But, everyone on the farm is soon shocked when one egg balks at breaking out into a fluffy chick's life full of promise and purpose. What happens when he refuses to hatch out of his shell? Crafted as an entertaining read aloud with repetitive rhymes for vocal variety and humorous characters, the large format of this book makes it a perfect selection for performance storytelling in a living room or classroom. In the tradition of Beatrix Potter, the lush pen and watercolor pictures create a text that "pops" with engaging charm-including a parallel story line hidden in the interpretive illustrations. Discussion questions at the conclusion of the story encourage quality conversation within the family or small group about how the life lesson of the story applies to one's own life. A separate in-depth study guide designed for homeschool use, Christian family devotions, small group, and one-on-one counseling using literature for reflective thinking is available in e-book format only.