ALA Booklist (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Eggbert is one of the most popular items in the refrigerator, delighting the veggies and the dairy products with his paintings. But one day, Eggbert gets cracked and is forced to leave the fridge. To disguise his crack in the outside world, Eggbert paints himself to look like his surroundings, but just when he's covered himself with flowers or drawn a skyscraper on his back, he's discovered. Then, Eggbert falls and gets cracked so badly, he knows he can't disguise himself anymore. He's cracked but so is the rest of the world, he notices: there are cracks of light in the sky, cracks in the landscape, cracks everywhere. This knowledge frees Eggbert to be the egg he was meant to be: artist and observer of life. Kids can't help but be attracted by the wonderful artwork. The authors have worked for years in animation, and the pictures here are slick, beautifully colored, and brimming with fun. The message is also slick, but it's a useful one that even preschoolers can assimilate. Move over Dancing Raisins, here's Eggbert. (Reviewed Feb. 1, 1994)

Horn Book (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Shunned by his friends in the refrigerator, slightly cracked, artistic Eggbert seeks acceptance in the wide world. After discovering that his attempts to disguise his individual trait are futile, Eggbert learns to appreciate the Grand Canyon, the Liberty Bell, and other cracks of distinction, including his own. The well-executed illustrations do not quite redeem the drab and pallid story line.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Capped with a cheery beret, Eggbert amuses the denizens of the fridge with his paintings; but when his cracks are noticed, he is evicted (``Eggs with cracked shells were not allowed to stay''), with sad good-byes from the other eggs and glares from the veggies. So begins his journey of discovery—to the windowsill, to the garden below where he paints himself to match the flowers, and on to the big world. New adventures bring new realizations: no surface can hide his true, cracked-egg self; but then, the world is literally full of cracks (e.g., in the clouds). The narrative wanders off into its message; still, its insights are delivered with a pleasantly offbeat humor, while Barron—a former animator making his picture-book debut—has created a vivacious Humpty Dumpty look-alike and set him, among other entertaining caricatures, in an inviting world that's as bright as new paint. (Picture book. 4-8)"

School Library Journal (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

PreS-Gr 2-The other eggs in the refrigerator admire Eggbert's remarkable paintings-until they discover that he has a slight crack. Because of his defect, he is banished from his home. At first he uses his artistic talent to attempt to camouflage himself, but his disguises are quickly discovered. Then he realizes that the world contains many lovely cracks. Brush in hand, he travels the globe and produces wonderful paintings of fissures found in things such as volcanoes and the Liberty Bell. Back at the refrigerator, his former friends ponder his hand-painted postcards with amazement and a touch of sadness. The story might be read as a commentary on the lives of artists and/or the dangers and blessings of nonconformity; however, young readers will be more engaged by the illustrations than by philosophical reflections. Eggs and vegetables rarely assume such lifelike expressions and stances, and the simple text and clear design add up to read-aloud potential. Eggbert is an egg worth watching.-Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN