Module 11: An Egg is Quiet

An Egg is Quiet
by Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long

Book Summary:

An Egg Is Quiet is an attractively illustrated informational book that describes the life cycle of eggs as well as the various shapes, textures, and colors that eggs can take. The reader is introduced to over sixty types of eggs and multiple animals that produce offspring through eggs, in addition to an assortment of egg facts.

Aston, D. H., & Long, S. (2006). An egg is quiet. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

My impressions:

This informative book would be an excellent addition for an elementary library, but seems too juvenile for a middle school or high school audience. The level of information given was appropriate for younger readers, with more emphasis given on the pictures and examples, than the actual text. The pictures were excellent, and I could imagine the different types of eggs in their natural habitats remarkably well based on the illustrations coupled with the labels and descriptions provided. I especially enjoyed the “An egg is colorful” page that include labeled pictures of approximately 38 different eggs and the last page showing labeled illustrations of many different egg-laying animals including insects, birds, fish, and reptiles.

Professional review:

K-Gr 2-- An exceptionally handsome book on eggs, from the delicate ova of the green lacewing to the rosy roe of the Atlantic salmon to the mammoth bulk of an ostrich egg. Aston's simple, readable text celebrates their marvelous diversity, commenting on size, shape, coloration, and where they might be found. The author occasionally attributes sensibilities to eggs ("An egg is clever," for example). Still, her quiet descriptions of egg engineering and embryo development (no mention of mating) are on the mark, and are beautifully supported by Long's splendid watercolor depictions of a wide variety of eggs. (One teeny carp--Steller's jays are not spelled with an "ar," though they are stellar performers when wheedling for your lunch at a campsite!) A beautiful guide to the unexpected panoply of "the egg."

Manning, P. (2006, June 1). [Review of the book An egg is quiet, by D. Aston
       & S. Long]. School Library Journal, 52(6), 104. Retrieved from
       http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

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. Ages 5-10.

[Review of the book An egg is quiet, by D. Aston & S. Long]. (2006, March 6).
       Publisher’s Weekly, 253(10), 74. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Library Uses:

This book would tie in nicely with the living science exhibit that is available for checkout from Region 20 (and most likely other Education Service Center Regions throughout Texas). I would recommend reading this book in the library as a story time introduction to the living science exhibit on display in the library and then allowing students to see the different types of eggs that are on display in the exhibit as well as the different types of egg-laying animals that are a part of the exhibit.