First The Egg

First The Egg. written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. 2007. 32p. New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.studiolvs.com

 

Medium: oil on canvas

Awards and Honors:

2008 Caldecott Honor Book, 2008 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book,

New York Times Best Seller, A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007, American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2008, A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2007, Oppenheim Platinum Award, 2008, NAIBA Children’s Pick of the List, 2007, Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Award, 2007, Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2007, South Dakota Prairie Bud Award, 2007, Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2007

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:

Laura Vaccaro Seeger creatively explores the age-old question: what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Personal Reaction:

This little book celebrates the miracle of creation, both natural and artistic. Using strategically place die-cuts, Laura Vaccaro Seeger takes the reader through transformations- from the egg, to the chicken; the tadpole, to the frog; the word, to the story; the paint, to the picture; and the chicken back to the egg. Naturally, the cyclical progression elicits calls for repeated readings from children who delight in guessing what each object will become. Seeger's thickly applied oil on canvas illustrations are unique, if a bit flat at times.