>> Download Q&A and poster
>> Send this page to a friend

>> TEACHER'S GUIDE

Awards and honors for An Egg is Quiet:
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books 2007
NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book 2007
Texas Library Association, 2X2 Reading List 2007
New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2006
Chicago Public Library, Best of the Best books of 2006
New York Library Association, Book of the Season, Spring 2006
Great Lakes Great Books Award Nominee 2007/2008
North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Nominee 2006-2007
Kansas Reading Association Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee 2007-2008
Utah Beehive Award Nominee 2007-2008
Maine Chickadee Award Program Book List 2007-2008
Maine State Library Association, Cream of the Crop 2007
Capitol Choices, Noteworthy Books for Children 2007
Texas (Abilene) Mockingbird Award Nominee 2007
Houston Area Independent Schools Library Network (HAISLN) Recommended Reading List 2007
Association of Children's Librarians (ACL) Distinguished Books for 2006
Librarians' Choices 2006
Children's Book Sense Pick, Summer 2006
Cybils, Children's and YA Bloggers Literature Award Winner, Nonfiction Picture Book
Publishers Weekly, starred review
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Publishers Weekly, "Off the Cuff" Award, Honorable Mention for Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject
Child, Best Books of 2006
Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection

An Egg Is Quiet

By Dianna Aston
Illustrated by Sylvia Long

9 x 11 in; 36 pp ; full color throughout, ages 5-10
Hardcover
Published in February, 2006
ISBN 0811844285
ISBN13 9780811844284

See more product details 

$16.95  

Reviews
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

Author Info
Dianna Aston spends a lot of time in her backyard hoping to find new eggs. She often enlists the help of her husband, children, and their assorted pets. She lives in Texas.

Sylvia Long is the illustrator of many books for children including the best-selling Sylvia Long's Mother Goose, Hush Little Baby, and Snug As a Bug, all published by Chronicle Books. Ms. Long's detailed paintings are inspired by her love of animals and the outdoors. She lives in Arizona.

Quotes
"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