First the EggBy Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Roaring Brook Press, 2007
You know the whole which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg debate? Well, Laura Vaccaro Seeger manages to illustrate it beautifully in her simple, but delightful, new picture book. The whole book is in a pattern of First the __________, then the ___________. Most of the cause/effect scenarios that are presented are nature related, but for all of us book lovers, she includes “first the word, then the story” and “first the paint, then the picture.”
The illustrations also include die-cuts that reveal part of the picture on the next page. The oil paintings on canvas give the illustrations a textural look.
So how does she handle the which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg debate? The first line of the story is “First the egg, then the chicken.” The last line of the book is “first the chicken, the egg.” I think that covers all the bases.
This is a must read with preschoolers! Laura Vaccaro Seeger is also the author of another favorite: Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories.
1 comment:
I LOVE this book! It just won a New York Times Best Illustrated award and it is certainly well-deserved. My favorite part of this book is the "First the word, then the story" spread. Seeger has hidden countless short words in what appears to be a pattern of letters. This is wonderful in the classroom as children love to search for the words as we segue into a lesson about using those words in creative writing.
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