First the Egg

2007 children's book by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
9781596432727

First the Egg is a New York Times bestselling children's picture book written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, published by Roaring Book Press in 2007.[1] It was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2008[2] and also appeared on the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books list[3] and the American Library Association Notable Children's Books list.[4]

The book comprises a series of die-cut pages that convey various forms of transformation. Seeger uses word play and alters the composition of the illustrations between cut-outs to create unexpected relationships among basic concepts such as time, opposites, and colors.[5] In 2009, the company Weston Woods Studios, Inc. made a version of the book, narrated by Elle Fanning, with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young.

Reception

Publishers Weekly described First the Egg as "another nimble page-turner...",[6] and Inis magazine called it "whimsical and bold..."[7]

Awards and honors

  • New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (2007)
  • Caldecott Honor Book (2008)
  • American Library Association Notable Children's Books (2008)

References

  1. ^ "New York Times Best Sellers - April 20, 2008", New York Times.
  2. ^ "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present", American Library Association.
  3. ^ "New York Times Sunday Book Review", New York Times, November 11, 2007.
  4. ^ “2008 Notable Children's Books”, American Library Association.
  5. ^ First the Egg, Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2007.
  6. ^ "First the Egg". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  7. ^ Myers, Lindsay (2009). "First the Egg". Inis #30 (Winter). Children's Books Ireland. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
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