Module 11: An Egg Is Quiet

Citation
Aston, D. & Long, S.  (2006).  An Egg Is Quiet.  San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Summary
Aston's text and Long's illustrations give readers an idea of the incredible variation between egg colors and sizes.  The book covers the development of several of the creatures inside the eggs.  Eggs are quiet -- until they aren't!

Impressions

First of all, Happy Easter!  I read this book to a group of preschoolers this week, and they were captivated by its basic text (the primary narrative of the book is written in cursive); factual details accompany randomly the illustrations on two-page spreads.  I pointed out some of those details as we read along.  Aside from the greatly detailed, vividly colored illustrations, one of the things I enjoy about this book and Aston's A Seed Is Sleepy is that it is easy to tailor the book to an audience.  Adults and older readers (and some younger children) can enjoy many of the little details, but oral presenters can include as many or as few of the details as fit the audience and situation.


Review
An Egg Is Quiet [book review].  (2006).  Kirkus Reviews, 74(6), 286.  Retrieved from Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
Worthy successor to Ruth Heller's Chickens Aren't The Only Ones (1981), this engrossing album pairs images of dozens of precisely detailed eggs and their diverse wild parents to basic facts presented in neatly hand-lettered lines. Nearly all depicted actual size (and those that aren't, are consistently so labeled), Long's eggs look real enough to pick up, whether placed in natural settings or suspended on white pages. All, whether from birds, insects, reptiles, fish or amphibians, are not only identified, but Aston adds both topical phrases-"Eggs come in different sizes"-to each spread and, usually, memorably presented additional facts: "An ostrich egg can weigh as much as 8 pounds. It's so big and so round, it takes two hands to hold one egg." A delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots and textures. 2006, Chronicle, 36p, $16.95. Category: Picture book/nonfiction. Ages 6 to 9. Starred Review. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.


Suggestions for Use
I can think of multiple uses for this book.  It would make a gorgeous book display during the spring and around Easter.  However, the naturalist-leaning pictures prompt me to think of presenting this book to children with like books, perhaps accompanying it by some of Audubon's illustrations or The Boy Who Drew Birds.  In collaboration with the teacher, the librarian could encourage students to create their own illustrative booklets.  At my sons' elementary school, Dragon Press is the campus publisher for books.  Sometimes nonfiction is overlooked in this endeavor.  Perhaps this and student-created naturalist notebooks could reverse this trend, too.  This exercise could prompt a basic lesson in attribution, as well, as students learn to cite their sources if they add factual text.