The Giggling Tree (Hatchimals) - Softcover

Woodward, Kay

4.53

36 ratings by Goodreads

9781524788209: The Giggling Tree (Hatchimals)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1524788201 ISBN 13: 9781524788209

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Licenses, 2018

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Crack into this magical chapter-book series based on Hatchimals, the best-selling toy!

When Ava and her younger brother, Oliver, find a pair of giant, brightly speckled eggs in their garden, they immediately try to solve the mystery of what's inside. Soon after, two adorable creatures called Hatchimals hatch from the eggs! One is a Draggle, and the other is a Penguala. But there's trouble in Hatchtopia, the Hatchimals' world, and it's up to Ava, Oliver, and their Hatchimals to journey to this magical land and save the day!

This book also contains exclusive collector cards featuring four fun CollEGGtibles!

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About the Author:

Kay Woodward has written over eighty children's books, including storybooks and series fiction for several prestigious children's publishers. Along with classic fairy tales, her wide-ranging interests include Roald Dahl, Christmas, and chocolate, all of which she has written about.

Mystery Eggs

“Ugh!” Ava threw her toy wand on the grass. It didn’t matter how many times she waved it—not a single spark of magic appeared.

“Maybe you’re doing it wrong?” said her younger brother, Oliver, who was dangling upside down from the tree swing nearby. “Have you tried saying abracadabra?”

“I’ve tried everything, Ollie,” Ava said. “Nothing works.”

Ever since she was old enough to read fairy tales, Ava had been absolutely certain that magic was real. She’d watched all the magicians’ tricks she could find on the Internet. She’d studied how to track down fairies in the backyard. She’d read all about mythical beasts like unicorns and dragons. But she still hadn’t found any signs of actual, real magic, and Ava couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Oliver flipped the right way up. “Maybe you just haven’t looked in the right place yet.” He jumped off the swing and grabbed for the lowest branch of the tree. Quickly, he started to climb. “How about up here?” he suggested with a grin.

“Oliver!” called Mom from behind the barbecue. “Not too high!” She flipped over a burger. “Besides, lunch will be ready soon.”

Dad poked his head out from the shed. He spotted Oliver and beamed at him. “Great climbing, Ollie!” he called. Then, on second thought: “I mean, be careful, and everything!”

Ava smiled. Mom and Dad were what their aunt Sophie called “eccentric.” That meant they were a little strange, but in a cool sort of way. When Mom wasn’t working in the city, and Dad wasn’t fixing mountain bikes from home, they were always doing something new and exciting. Knowing Dad, he probably wanted to be up in the tree with Oliver.

“Hey!” called Oliver. “Look at me! I’m so high up, I’m almost in outer space!”

“Oliver . . . ,” said Mom.

“Joking!” said Oliver. “Ava, come on. It’s great up here. I haven’t found any magic for you yet, but everything is really small when you’re this high up. You look tiny!”

Ava grinned and waved at her brother. She’d leave the tree climbing to Oliver—the swing was free now, so she could have her turn at last. Ava had a theory that if she swung high enough, she’d know what flying would feel like.

“Keep looking!” she called. “Magic hides in the most unlikely places. Or, at least, that’s how it always works in books.”

Soon Ava was swinging back and forth, her dark hair flying into her face and then streaming out behind her again. She wished that she could just wave a wand—one that actually worked—and it would make glittering silver wings appear on her back. Then she would soar up to join Oliver at the top of the tree, and they would fly up high into the clouds, where dragons and unicorns would . . . would . . .

Ava’s daydream escaped her. She stared at the ground as it rose and fell beneath the swing, her mouth gaping.

What was that?!

“Whoa,” she breathed. She wasn’t sure exactly what she’d seen, but she knew that she had to investigate, and fast. She swung higher so that she was level with Oliver. “Look!” she called, pointing quickly with one hand.

Oliver followed her gaze, and his eyes widened. “Whoa!” he exclaimed, echoing Ava.

“Come on!” yelled Ava. She swung down, stuck out her feet, and skidded to a halt, clouds of dirt billowing.

Oliver climbed down the tree a lot faster than he’d gone up it, landing in a heap at the bottom within just a few seconds. He sprang to his feet, shaking leaves from his brown hair.

“Did you see that?” gasped Ava.

Oliver nodded fast. “Let’s go!” he said.

So they did. Except Ava sprinted to the left . . . and Oliver ran to the right.

Typical Ollie, Ava thought. “You’re going the wrong way!” she yelled over her shoulder, heading for the very spot she’d noticed from high up on the swing.

And there it was, nestled in a hollow at the magnolia tree’s roots. It was white, and it was curved, and it was dotted with pink and teal speckles. Ava had never seen anything so beautiful. Or so magical.

It was an egg.

She reached out and gently picked it up. The egg was smoother than silk and warm to the touch. What could possibly be inside it? An eagle? A dodo? A little dragon?

She heard footsteps in the grass behind her. Ava spun around, moving to protect the egg, but it was just Oliver.

“Sis!” he called, his face lighting up. “What are you doing over here?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “You should have gone to the rose bed! Because guess what I found! Actually, you won’t guess. It’s too awesome. Should I just tell you? I think I will. It’s—”

“An egg?” said Ava. She was too excited to wait.

“How did you know?” demanded Oliver, showing her the egg he had hidden behind his back. It was exactly the same size and shape as Ava’s, but had purple speckles instead.

“Keep your voice down,” whispered Ava. “I guessed it was an egg because . . .” She moved so that he could see her egg. “I found one, too!”

“Where do you think they came from?” Oliver breathed. He and Ava gently placed their eggs down side by side under the magnolia tree.

“Somewhere magical,” said Ava. And it wasn’t just because she always thought things were magical, either. Something about these eggs felt . . . different. Special. Like they were exactly what Ava had been waiting for.

Oliver and Ava knelt down in front of the eggs and waited to see what they’d do next.

“This is so unbelievably cool,” said Oliver, grinning from ear to ear. “Mystery eggs! In our backyard! Do you think we’ll be on the news? But not one of the sad stories. I mean the part at the end, right before the weather, where they have a happy story to cheer everyone up. I’d like to be on that part. Ava? Ava, are you even listening?”

Ava was staring at the egg, wondering dreamily when she’d last been this excited. On their last family vacation, probably. Or maybe on her eighth birthday, when they’d gone to the ice rink and then for ice cream. That had been really special, but it was nowhere near as amazing as this.

“Hello?” she whispered gently to her egg, hoping that it would do something, like wiggle or wobble or crack just a little. But nothing happened. Her smile wavered, but she was convinced. These eggs were magical. She just knew it.

“Hey!” said Oliver, leaning closer to the mysterious egg. “Come out, come out, whatever you are . . . ,” he murmured, leaning so close that his nose was almost touching his egg. Nothing. “Pfft,” he said, sitting back on his heels. “Whatever’s inside, it’s boring!”

“Shhhhh!” said Ava. “You’ll hurt their feelings.” Then she blinked. Was she imagining it or had she just seen two red eyes flash from inside Oliver’s egg? She rubbed her eyes. The egg looked the same as it had before. Was she just seeing things?

“Sorry,” said Oliver sheepishly.

A soft breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the magnolia tree and carrying Mom’s words down the backyard. “Ava! Oliver! Lunch is ready!”

“We’d better go, Ollie,” said Ava reluctantly. “They’ll be wondering where we are.”

“Just one more minute,” said Oliver, tapping his egg gently with a finger.

And that was when it happened.

Tat-a-tat.

Something inside the egg tapped back.

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