First the Egg

First the Egg

First edition
Author	Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Illustrator	Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Cover artist	Seeger
Language	English
Genre	Children's fiction, picture book
Publisher	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date	September 4, 2007
Publication place	United States
Awards	Caldecott Honor Book
ISBN	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.