Edwina the Emu Paperback – Picture Book, April 25, 1997

I love this book! It used to be a childhood favorite of mine and I read it over and over. I recently bought it for my 3 month old and can’t wait to make it a classic in our home as well. The story is so cute and the artwork is really interesting and unique! Make sure and get “Edward the Emu” as well!

Edwina the Emu is a fantastic book that explores themes of early parenting, the working class, and gender roles in the 21st century. Although it appears to be a children's book, there is a lot to unpack in social commentary. After an unexpected pregnancy, Edwina encourages Edward to stay at home with the eggs while she pursues career options. Edwina finds a job posting for ballet dancing in the newspaper. It is of note that she finds this antiquated gender role in a form of dead media. After being body shamed by the casting director, Edwina stands up for herself proclaiming she will find a job one way or another. This first job provides heavy handed commentary of the current state of affairs in Hollywood and the Me Too Movement. Refusing to conform to an unhealthy body image, Edwina is forced to take up a job performing manual labor as a chimney sweep. The position of chimney sweep is a brilliant form of ironic symbolism. We find Edwina (who set out to break the glass ceiling), ironically forced into a confined space (box) and is lowered through a literal ceiling. After attempting a job as a waiter, Edwina encounters another misogynist man in the form of a restaurant patron. The man boasts about eating eggs in Edwina's presence sending her fleeing home. This scene is the greatest point driven home in the story as it reflects on modern day consumerism and plays on the fears of raising children in modern and turbulent times. This job is indicative of modern day career oriented women being forced to neglect their children, sacrificing them in order to find a fulfilling career. After hailing a cab, she has an epiphany and decides to be a stay at home mother. While at first this subversion of expectations seems to be counterproductive to the 5th wave feminist cause, it is in reality a woman making a choice to do what makes her happy. Naming the last of their babies Yeek (which is a reoccurring theme in Edwina's being shunned and discriminated against) is a clever biting of the thumb to societal norms. I enjoyed this book in its entirety and implore all to read it. Also, it rhymed, and that's cool.

Love this book. Good lessons about being yourself.

Cute, cute story to pair with Edward the Emu! My grandkids love both. Great illustrations.

A wonderful rhyming book!!! It’s a must read! Works great for the Letter E teachers!

We have Edward the Emu so this is a great addition! Very cute story line!

This product came in as a new paperback book that was perfect for my mother's classroom.

This is a great book. Highly recommend also purchasing Edward the Emu.