An Egg Is Quiet - (Sylvia Long) by Dianna Aston (Hardcover)

About the Book

Award-winning artist Long teams with up-and-coming author Aston to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to eggs. From tiny hummingbird eggs to giant ostrich eggs, it magnificently captures the incredible variety of eggs and celebrates their beauty and wonder. Full color.

Book Synopsis

Scholastic Parent & Child magazine's 100 Greatest Books for Kids

A Junior Library Guild Premiere selection

"Will inspire kids to marvel." --Booklist

From the award-winning creators of the beloved Nature Book series, this gorgeous and informative introduction to eggs is the book that started it all.

From tiny hummingbird eggs to giant ostrich eggs, oval ladybug eggs to tubular dogfish eggs, gooey frog eggs to fossilized dinosaur eggs, this educational and immersive picture book magnificently captures the incredible variety of eggs in nature and celebrates their beauty and wonder.

The evocative text is sure to inspire lively questions and observations. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to more than 60 types of eggs and an array of captivating egg facts. Even the endpapers brim with information. A tender and fascinating guide that will spark kids' imaginations, whether in a classroom reading circle or on a parent's lap.

A NATURE BOOK TO TREASURE: From the rosy roe of the Atlantic salmon to the delicate ova of the green lacewing, curious kids will find a wealth of information and inspiration in this fascinating picture book.

PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN READERS: Each volume in this unique series of nature books for kids is sure to inspire lively engagement for young listeners. Like the best nonfiction books for children, they are equally engaging in the home and in the classroom.

BEAUTIFUL BOOKS TO GIFT AND COLLECT: Called a "delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots, and textures" in a starred review from Kirkus, An Egg Is Quiet makes a wonderful gift for kids, families, and teachers. Pair with another in the series, including A Butterfly Is Patient, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Nest Is Noisy, and A Shell Is Cozy, to create an irresistible bundle for nature lovers.

Perfect for:

• Parents, teachers, librarians, in-school educators, and homeschoolers
• Preschool, kindergarten, and emerging readers with an interest in nature, animals, and life science
• Anyone interested in learning more about the planet we inhabit
• Gift giving in an Easter basket or for any special occasion
• Spring break and end-of-school summer reads
• Fans of Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and others in the Over and Under series

Review 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

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

About the Author

Dianna Hutts Aston has written many bestselling children's books inspired by her awe for the wonders of nature. She lives in the Texas Hill Country, where she is a student of wildflower seed harvesting and viticulture, a caregiver, and a chauffeur.

Sylvia Long is the illustrator of many award-winning books for children that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. Her detailed paintings are inspired by her love of animals and the outdoors. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.