A "pysanka," explains author/illustrator Julie Paschkis in the afterword to this charming picture book, is a traditional Ukranian decorated egg. These eggs, with their colorful and intricate folk designs, are Paschkis' sunny inspiration for her gentle tale about P. Zonka, a hen who would rather marvel at the world around her-the clouds and flowers, "the pale mornings," "the soft dark moss" and "the shining center of a dandelion"-than lay eggs like the other hens. When P. Zonka does finally produce an egg, it is no ordinary egg, but a reflection of her unique birds'-eye view of nature's beauty.