First The Egg

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

WHICH CAME FIRST? The chicken or the egg? Simple die-cuts magically present transformation-- from seed to flower, tadpole to frog, caterpillar to butterfly. The acclaimed author of "Black? White! Day? Night! "and" Lemons Are Not Red" gives an entirely fresh and memorable presentation to the concepts of transformation and creatiity. Seed becomes flower, paint becomes picture, word becomes story--and the commonplace becomes extraordinary as children look through and turn the pages of this novel and winning book.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Science, Nature, Nonfiction

Audible Audio

First published September 4, 2007

About the author

Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator and the recipient of a 2008 Caldecott Honor, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors for both 2009 and 2008, a 2007 New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, and the 2007 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book. Her books include First the Egg, The Hidden Alphabet, and Dog and Bear, among others.

Raised on Long Island, New York, Seeger began drawing at two years old and never stopped. For as long as she remembers, she wanted to write picture books. She received her B.F.A. degree at the School of Fine Art and Design at SUNY Purchase in Westchester, New York, and then moved to Manhattan, where she worked as an animator, artist, and editor in the network television business.

Seeger lives in Rockville Centre, Long Island, with her husband, Chris, their two sons, Drew and Dylan, and their dog, Copper. She loves painting, surfing, tennis, playing the piano, and spending time with her family. She takes long walks at the beach every day and paints in her studio every night.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/laurav...

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was much too sophisticated for greg to figure out at first, but let me say for the record that i always understood and appreciated it. its the kind of book you have to actually physically look at to enjoy; its very well-constructed and kind of a hoot, . i didnt expect to like this book, but i can acknowledge the care and thoughtfulness that went into making it, and i actually really enjoyed reading it. twice. one more class to go and then back to adult books...mostly.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love these books with cutouts on each page so that the background color changes for the story depending which side the page is on. Simple and effective. It is a fun beginning book for kids and art lovers.

The nephew likes to figure out how to engineer this kind of thing. Both kids will look at the colors on the page and figure out what the new color will be and where the color from the previous page came from. The nephew gave this 3 stars and the niece gave this 1 star. It’s too simple for her, but she’s still reading them with me. We have less than 18 books to go.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

What looks simple is actually quite sophisticated, or for me at least. Without Karen's help I would have been lost from the details of this book. Part of me was angered that the book thought the egg came first and then the chicken, but then I realized this book was actually a subtle reworking of the age old question, and possibly a worthy addition to the philosophy section.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids really get into this book. It makes them feel smart when they can predict what comes next, and it makes them think when their predictions are wrong.

I had kids in my school create their own pages for a book like this (thanks for the terrific idea, Judy Freeman!) and they came up with some great ones. Some of my favorites (or those that I can remember now that summer's here): First the thread, then the shirt; First the book, then the library; First the blue and yellow, then the green. <>

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun little book! Its simple text is nonetheless effective: "First the egg. Then the chicken. First the tadpole. Then the frog." on up through seeds and flowers, to words and stories and paint and pictures. Cut-outs in the page help to form the illustrations and it's very fun to see how the cut-out fits with the next picture when you turn the page. I was smiling all the way to the last picture. And as to which came first, the chicken or the egg, it may not be as clear as the title of the book suggests ;-)

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Citation: First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. (Roaring Brook Press, 2007). 32p. Controlled Vocabulary.

Summary: This non-fiction easy reader introduces before and after science, reading, and writing concepts. Beginning with an egg turning into a chicken, it comes full circle to show the chicken, then the egg, at the end.

Critique: (a.) This book’s greatest strength is its illustrations. It was awarded the Theodor Geisel Award as well as the Caldecott Honor. Colorful paintings and accompanying cutouts portray these early concepts in a way easily enjoyed and grasped by young children.

(b.) As each animal or object is introduced, the illustration is created with a cutout on the page. After turning the page, the reader sees an intermediate step that includes the image shown through the other side of the cutout and then the “after” picture.

(c.) One of the best examples of this technique is found on the “tadpole” to “frog” pages. (pgs. 6-9) We see the tadpole change into a froglet and then an adult. The painted blue background provides a perfect canvas for the life cycle change.

Curriculum Connection: Young children would enjoy predicting the “after” versions in the text. I would use this to reinforce science concepts with them and to connect this idea to reading and writing. I would use this with middle elementary students to work on sequencing and life cycles.

[Amy Vana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First the Egg written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a 2008 Caldecott Honor Book and a 2007 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

I was first introduced to this early childhood picture book in Children’s Handbook in Children’s Hand; A Brief Introduction to their Literature. I located the text edition at my local library. The library also had an electronic format; Hoopla Audio Book. The electronic format was easy to follow, paced appropriately, and had an engaging reader. However, one of the benefits of the physical text is the tactile feeling of the specifically placed cut out holes that lead from one page to the next.

This simple text discusses transformations such as egg to chicken, tadpole to frog, and many more. This format gives the illusion of transformations, for example when the page with the caterpillar is turned the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The illustrations in this text are intriguing urging the reader to move forward and follow the transformation through the cut outs. Seeger uses smooth textured paintbrush strokes and strategic vibrant colors to make the pages seamlessly fit together.

This early childhood text would be best fit for children 2 to 6 years old or preschool to first grade. This text could be used as a read aloud, as a science introduction, a tool for creative writing, or used as examples of sequencing.

[Sara Ullery · Rating 4 out of 5]

first the Egg by Laura Seeger
• Sweet story simply explaining what came first. Great choice for younger children, first the seed, then the flower!
• Prek-1
• Teachers may use this for circle time, reading lesson, English, science
• Individual students will really enjoy the illustrations and simple sentences in this book making it a great choice for beginners
• Small groups may use this book to discuss what came first, and some of what surprised them!
• Whole classes may use this book relating to science and go on a nature trail to identify things such as nests, seeds, flowers, squirrels, birds etc and discuss what came first.
• Winner of the Caldecott and theordor seuss Geisel honor book

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caldecott- My favorite thing about this book was the pictures. The illustrator did a great job. I appreciate this book because it is a great way to teach students the process of an egg becomes a chicken, a caterpillar goes into a cocoon and becomes a butterfly, and first you paint and then you get the picture. I would read this book to my class because I really hope to teach kindergarten someday and I think it is a great book for that grade level.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book my 6 yr old as well as my twin 3 yr olds loved. A solid reading level 1 book, this cute story keeps all ages engaged with the bright colorful pictures and cute story. A great addition to any children's library.

[L12_luisespinoza Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book expresses in a very simplistic way the idea of change and transformation through a straightforward approach. From the first couple of pages showing "First the Egg, then the Chicken", to the last couple of pages showing "First the Chicken, then the Egg" and everything in between (the tadpole to frog, the seed to flower, the caterpillar to butterfly, the word to story, the paint to picture), the die cut format of the pages provides surprises at every turn of the page. The thick, colorful strokes of the background give the story a feeling of liveliness which corresponds with the theme of the book (life change and transformation).

This book is intended for preschool and possibly kindergarten age students and can be used for instruction related to themes of life sciences (plants, animals). A book that can compliment First the Egg is the well-known "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle.

[Lauma · Rating 5 out of 5]

First the Egg is a 2008 Caldecott Honor book written for children ages 4 to 6. It is nearly a wordless picture book that is about transformations: "first the egg, then the chicken; first the tadpole, then the frog...first the word, then the story". The illustrations in this book are colorful, yet simple, child-like paintings in hues that capture the environment of the subject. The author puts an interesting twist at the end of the book to reinforce the concept of the the circle of life--the book starts with "first the egg" and ends with "first the chicken". This book will capture the imaginations of our young students and can be used in as a teaching tool to discuss other ideas that follow the concept of first...then.

[Hayley Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually one of my very favorite Caldecott winners/honors. I thought not only the concept was really informative and cute for children, but the artistry and creativity using cut-outs was quite enticing as well. I felt like I loved this book just as much as a child would because of the colors and illustrations. On each picture you could see the brushstrokes which was another beautiful touch. The book showcased the age old question: what came first, the chicken or the egg? It begins and closes the book with that question which reveals that we can never know what came first. It also tells the metamorphosis of different things in nature: seed to flower, Caterpillar to butterfly, etc.

[Carlee Utvich]

This is a very basic level reading book about what different animals start out as first and what they turn in to. For example first the egg, then the chicken. This is a very easy reading book that children can could read on their own. It slowly turns in to a book with different simple narrations and big words. The pictures are only one object and look like they are painted. This is a sequential book because it shows what the things start out with and what it ends up as. This would spark curiosity in children and give them super easy understanding of what is going on in the story. This is informative because it tells us a lesson about where stuff comes from. Super good book for beginning readers on their own.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is wonderful! It's a very simple book. First the egg, then the chicken. First the tadpole, then the frog. My favorite: First the word, then the story. The first page shows the egg, with a cutout, and then the second page shows the chicken. The text is simple but could be used to have discussions about cause/effect or life cycles. And it comes full circle at the end...first the chicken, then the egg! This would be a fantastic addition to a preschool class...I'm certain toddlers, preschoolers and even kindergarteners would love this!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thought the way this book was done was ingenious. It's a cut-out book with various cut-outs meaning one thing on one side of the page, and then after turning the page, the cut-out is something else. A lot of thought went into the creation of this book, and I think it would help small children with understanding shapes and the way things progress from one stage to another (ex. from an egg to a chicken, from a caterpillar to a butterfly, etc.).

[Jennifer Nemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

summary: First the egg then the chicken. Then the book continues with seeds, tadpoles, and caterpillars.

Curriculum Connection: First...then..., sequence of events, connections

Audience: pre-k-2

Personal Reaction: I loved the simplicity of the book. The cutouts make it fun and make you want to read it again.

Visual Appeal: The use of all primary colors with visible brush strokes will appeal to young children.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

With just a few words, and the use of die cuts, readers get to explore several before and afters like egg and chicken or word and story.

Simple but cute and a very easy read. Perfect for beginning readers and those just exploring the relationships of things before and after.

[Emily Briano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeger is proving herself to be a top name as a picture book author/illustrator. A beautiful, well-crafted book.

[Agnė · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5
I couldn't stop reading this book over and over... Simple, beautiful and so clever!

[Deborah]

Could this book be more perfect? No, it could not.

[Sierra Lasky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book shows how one thing transforms into another. For example, going from an egg to a chicken or a caterpillar to a butterfly. This book would be very good for students that can’t read or that are just beginning to read because there are minimal words and they can understand the book by looking at the pictures. It is written very simply and has the same form throughout the book. The book is filled with a large variety of colors. The illustrations make the book very easy to read. There are fun little holes cut into the pages to help create the illustrations. The book shows the way that one thing turns into another. These cut outs are bound to draw kids in and make them curious about what is on the page that follows. The pictures look as though they have been painted in the book. The pictures show exactly what the words say. The last page brings everything from the story into on picture for a very nice end to the book.The theme of this book is transformation. However, it doesn’t go into a ton of detail on it. It mostly just shows the basic progression of the way things change from one thing to another. I thought Laura Seeger did a great job with this book. It would be a good book to share with students that are just beginning to read because the pictures mirror the text. The illustrations are nice and colorful and the pages with cut outs are creatively designed to create two separate illustrations. Each transformation presented in the book is given a beginning, middle, and end which is very helpful for showing the reader how the progression of change takes place. While I thought the author and illustrator did a good job with this book but it lacks a real plot or theme which makes it seem a little dull to me which is why I gave it a 3 star rating.

[Paige Rolfing]

Summary: This story lists out beginning and end results of multiple items. One one page it shows the beginning stage, like “a word”, and the next page contains the result, like “a story”. The book begins with “first the egg, then the chicken”. To come full circle, the story ends with, “first the chicken, then the egg”.

Theme: Everything goes through a process in order to become the final result. We see this as an egg becomes a chicken and a word becomes a story and a seed becomes a flower. Everything changes and grows to become something different from how it started.

Personal Reaction: I really like this book. It is very simple in both the illustrations, with just one item on each page, and the words, with just a few on each page. I think very young children, around 2 or 3 years old, would really enjoy the story. It would help teach them how growing and changing works. There are many books out there like this one, where many similar situations are brought together to make a point, and I know the kids I nanny always like them because they are easy to follow.

Rating: 5/5

Recommendation: I would recommend this book for young children. The simplicity of the story and illustrations allows very young kids to follow along and understand what is happening. Also, the story comes full circle as it comes back to the chicken and the egg. This would help kids realize that there is a circle of life and every living being has a life cycle. This is an important lesson to learn and the book teaches it very well.

[Amber Bush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seeger, L. (2007). First the Egg . Roaring Book Press

Concept Book/Geisel & Caldecott Honor Award

Picture Book Project

This concept book follows the riddle many of us have heard since we were little; what comes first? The chicken or the egg? The sequential elements change from chickens and eggs to caterpillars to butterflies to seeds to flowers, etc… It is a great book that provides short snippets of text along with amazing illustrations.

I would love to use this book in my classroom. I think it would be a great way to use an anticipation guide before reading to really see what students know and do not know about various topics. I think it would be interesting to ask students this question and set up a type of debate to discuss each side. I would use this to tie in science lessons about transformations as well as teaching sequencing, an important skill for the students to learn. The illustrations in this book are engaging for readers and use a mixture of mediums to create a sense of texture. The illustrations really do create captivating pictures and ties into the story perfectly. I absolutely love this book. I actually had a professor use this for a lesson in my sophomore year of undergraduate studies, but don’t remember exactly what she used. Looking back, I think that maybe she didn’t use the book to its full potential because if she did, I think I would definitely remember it better.

[Nanci · Rating 5 out of 5]

School Library Journal says: "PreS-Gr 2 —With brief text and vibrant artwork, Seeger describes familiar transformations in nature. The opening spread reads, "First the EGG." Textured backdrops painted in mustard yellow and rusty orange fill the eye and focus attention on a white egg that peeks through an oval-shaped die-cut from the next page. The following spread completes the thought, "then the CHICKEN," revealing a just-hatched chick and a fluffy white hen. Other similarly conveyed cycles include tadpole to frog, seed to flower, and caterpillar to butterfly. Finally, Seeger extends the concept to a broader sphere, with "First the WORD…then the STORY" and "First the PAINT…then the PICTURE," bringing the book full circle with an illustration that incorporates all of the highlighted entities, including the chicken—which then lays an egg. Throughout, the paintings focus closely on the items being described, and vivid color combinations and see-through die-cuts keep the art fresh and inviting. With its even rhythm, clearly expressed concept, and strong visuals, this book would make a great read-aloud for preschoolers; it could also serve as a beginning reader, a simple introduction to developmental biology, an example of logical sequencing, and a launchpad for creative writing.—Joy Fleishhacker"


Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book Awards

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Genre: Concept

2. Summary: First the Egg is a wonderful children’s picture book about concepts. It teachers children what things come first and how certain familiar things like flowers become flowers, butterflies become butterflies, etc.

3. Critique:
a.) I love the accuracy and the beautiful illustrations of this book. The way the illustrations and concepts are presented with the cut-out pieces is genius.

b.) I enjoyed reading this book and was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy and the simplicity of the way the information is presented along with the wonderful illustrations. The colors are so vivid and incredibly accurate and realistic.

c.) I love the simplicity of the way the information is presented. This picture book is clearly suited for preschool and kindergarten aged children. A few steps are left out of each scientific life process and the names like tadpole, adult frog, etc. and same with the plant but the general idea is to introduce them to concepts on a level that can easily be understood and this book accomplishes that.

4. Curriculum Connection: This is a great book that can be used in the classroom to introduce scientific concepts like the life cycle of a frog, butterfly, and the plant. As a teacher, you can read the book and briefly introduce with scientific names (e.g. cocoon, butterfly, tadpole, etc.) to keep it on an appropriate level.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: First the Egg
Genre: Concept

Summary: First the Egg, illustrates the concept of growth by showing the developmental stages of
of chickens from eggs, butterfiles from catapillars, pictures from paint, and stories from words. as the prgress from seeds, words, and paint to paintings.

A.The critique focuses on the illustration and picture elements of this story.


B. The story uses page cut-outs to illustrate how the outline of the shape of an object can be cleverly used to represent the stages in the development of animate and inanimate objects.For example, pg2 show the cut-out of an egg, but when the page is turned the cut-out turns into a yellow chickie and then the final image of a chicken. This pattern of using cut-outs is repeated throughout each example of change in the story. This cut-out pattern is effectively used in conjunction with the text, because the repition of the word pattern "first", "then", "the______" is used to show in pictures three stages in growth, the beginning, the middle, and the end. The unique use of cut-outs is an attractive feature of the story and will grab the interest of children in grasping the concept of the developmental stages of life and products around us.

C.This story can be used in a biology class to show the basic stages of growth of life from seeds or eggs.

[Courtney Dromazos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards: Caldecott Honor (2008), Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor (2008)

Grade: K-1

Summary: First the Egg is a picture book that illustrates and briefly narrates a simple version of the life cycle answering the question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" The book shows the life cycle of insects, animals and also human creations such as art and pieces of writing. The book features colorful illustrations on each page and simple one-line supporting text.

Review: First the Egg would be an excellent resource to introduce a unit on the Life Cycle in a Kindergarten classroom. Due to the eye catching and detailed illustrations, the content in the book is accessible for beginning readers which is especially helpful for young students who very likely have little science background knowledge. Thinking more generally, this picture book shows students that many things occur through a process taking time and effort.

Uses:
1. Introduce the life cycle
2. Explain the writing process

[RLL22018_Jorge Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a good book to show children a part of science and evolution. It is more geared towards PreK and Kindergarten. In this book you see what comes first and it gets you and the child's minds thinking. The pictures are nice and big and colorful. You can also stop at each animal and talk about their characteristics and how they came about. In the end, it is kind of a twist because then you can ask, What came first? when they already thought they knew the answer.

[Robert Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice enough little book, about the beginnings of life, shown in colorful oil on canvas pictures. But really, the pictures are amatuerish and the book as a whole is nothing special.