No. of pages 36
Published: 2006
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This book is the winner of numerous awards
There are 36 pages in this book. This book was published in 2006 by Chronicle Books .
Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of several picture books. She lives in Texas with her husband and two children. E. B. Lewis has illustrated more than 30 books and is a former winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal. He lives in New Jersey, USA. Dianna Aston is the author of many books for children. Sylvia Long is the illustrator of many bestselling books for children. Her detailed paintings are inspired by her love of animals and the outdoors
This book has been nominated for the following awards:
North Carolina Children's Book Award - Picture Book
This book was recognised in the Picture Book category by the North Carolina Children's Book Award.
Cybils Award - Nonfiction
This book was recognised in the Nonfiction category by the Cybils Award. The Cybils Awards is a group of readers passionate about seeking out and recognizing books that represent diversity, inclusion, and appropriate representation for children and teens. To accomplish that goal, the Cybils Awards works to recognize books written for children and young adults that combine both the highest literary merit and popular appeal.
Grand Canyon Reader Award - Nonfiction
This book was recognised in the Nonfiction category by the Grand Canyon Reader Award.
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books - Children
This book was recognised in the Children category of the Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books.
Beehive Award - Information Book
This book was recognised in the Information Book category by the Beehive Award.
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Ages 0-7 Years
This book was recognised in the Ages 0-7 Years category by the Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens.
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award - Nonfiction
This book was recognised in the Nonfiction category by the Flicker Tale Children's Book Award.
Texas Reading List
This book was recognised by the Texas Reading List.
South Carolina Childrens Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Picture Book
This book was recognised in the Picture Book category by the South Carolina Childrens Junior and Young Adult Book Award.
"The succinct text will draw young fact hounds, particularly fans of Steve Jenkins' Biggest, Strongest, Fastest and his similar titles. Long's illustrations are elegant and simple, and the gallery of eggs, as brilliantly colored and polished as gems, will inspire kids to marvel at animals' variety and beauty." -Booklist
"An exceptionally handsome book...A beautiful guide to the unexpected panoply of 'the egg'." -School Library Journal
Like the subject matter it describes, this book packages with understated elegance the substantive matter found within it. "An egg is quiet. It sits there, under its mother's feathers . . . on top of its father's feet . . . buried beneath the sand," Aston (When You Were Born) begins, as spot illustrations zero in on a hummingbird, emperor penguin and sea turtle, respectively. The narrative then launches into a kind of survey about the characteristics of eggs, which follows a simple format. In most spreads, different adjectives (colorful, shapely, textured, etc.) complete the sentence, "An egg is . . . ." This repetitive rhythm contrasts with the visual variety of the illustrations. Long's (Sylvia Long's Mother Goose) skilled use of contrast and compositional balance prevent monotony. For example, a border that resembles a color test pattern runs down the outer edges of a spread of nearly 40 carefully placed "colorful" examples, set against a white background, which dazzle the eye. The main text appears in large, flowery cursive, while a smaller printed typeface serves as labels and brief factual captions. "An egg is clever," in fancy script, for instance, sits alongside examples of camouflage: "An egg might be speckled to resemble the rocks around it." The letters' dramatic curlicues mimic curvy grasses and vines dappled with tiny insect eggs. Long introduces breathtaking color into the final spreads, as a concluding scene "hatches from" this peacefulness, reminding readers of an egg's purpose. This attractive volume pleases on both an aesthetic and intellectual level. -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"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." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review