Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2007.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-59643-272-7.
Seeger cleverly masterminds a new look at the age-old chicken vs. the egg controversy. "First the .... " The dust jacket die-cut exposing a large white egg breaks through to the "First the..." hardcover illustration of a hen. The back cover of the dust jacket displays "Then the...." with the picture of a chicken. The back of the hardcover completes the eternal cycle with "Then the ...." with a picture of an egg. (Sadly, this visual humor is largely inaccessible to those using library copies of the book with the jackets mercilessly taped down for posterity.)
Inside, thick acrylic brush daubs on canvas provide colored backdrops for the sparing text and die-cut story elements. Seeger begins with the fundamentals of creating this book. First... the egg, tadpole, seed, caterpillar. Then... the chicken, frog, flower, butterfly. First... the word, the paint. Then... the story, the picture (which contains the chicken, frog, flower, butterfly), and ending once more with "First the chicken, then the egg."
Assists young children with the understanding of cause and effect, or sequencing, in nature as well as in the creative process, providing concepts for discussion.
Caldecott Honor Book
Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
ALSC Notable Children's Book
New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Books of the Year
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Master List
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
South Dakota Prairie Bud Award Master List
No comments:
Post a Comment