Little Grunt and the Big Egg (A Prehistoric Fairy Tale) is picture book written and illustrated by the author of the Strega Nona series, Tomie dePaola. Strega Nona (ISBN 0-671-66606-1 is an original children's book written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola about an elderly lady who helps her fellow villagers Tomie A dePaola (Thomas Anthony dePaola (born September 15, 1934) U

Cover of "Little Grunt and the Big Egg"

The Grunt Tribe live in a big cave next to a volcano. When Little Grunt is told that the Ugga-Wugga Tribe is coming over for Sunday brunch the next day Mama Grunt orders him to find some eggs so that she can make an omelette. An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish An omelette is a preparation of beaten egg cooked with Butter or oil in a Frying pan, usually folded around a filling such as Little Grunt searches high and low and there are no eggs to be found anywhere. Just then he stumbles over the biggest egg he has ever seen. He carefully drags it home so that it doesn't break and shows it to his family. They are very impressed. The egg is left in front of the fire when all the Grunts go to bed. During the night they all wake up to a cracking and breaking noise and, in the hearth, they find a baby dinosaur amongst the broken egg shells. In common historic and modern usage a hearth (Har-th is a Brick - or stone -lined Fireplace or Oven used for Cooking and/or Heating Little Grunt keeps the dinosaur, who he names "George", as a pet and so begins a strong friendship.