Summary-
Award-winning artist Sylvia Long has teamed with up-and-coming author Dianna Aston to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to eggs. From tiny hummingbird eggs to giant ostrich eggs, oval ladybug eggs to tubular dogfish eggs, gooey frog eggs to fossilized dinosaur eggs, it magnificently captures the incredible variety of eggs and celebrates their beauty and wonder. The evocative text is sure to inspire lively questions and observations. Yet while poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to more than 60 types of eggs and an interesting array of egg facts. Even the endpapers brim with information. A tender and fascinating guide that is equally at home being read to a child on a parent's lap as in a classroom reading circle.
Reviews
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." ~ By Patricia Manning
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. (Apr.)
Publishers Weekly
And so...
This is one of the best books I've read during the 5420 class. The repetitive pattern will appeal to young readers, the pictures are colorful and well labeled for use as an informational text. More advanced readers will be intrigued with matching all of the eggs to the animals on the inside covers of the book. Definitely a great book for public, school, or classroom libraries!
Use this book for...
Librarians can use this book to introduce non-fiction to students, classroom teachers could use this for a unit on life cycles. Writing teachers will use this for a repetative pattern book, an example of narrative non-fiction, or an idea starter after discussing how the different parts of an egg are explored in both text and pictures.
References
Aston, Dianna. An Egg is Quiet. San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2006.
Summary retrieved from Syndetic Solutions, Richardson Public Library Online Catalog, July 22, 2011.
Manning, Patricia. School Library Journal, Jun2006, Vol. 52 Issue 6, p104-104, 1/6p
Publishers Weekly, 3/6/2006, Vol. 253 Issue 10, p74-101, 1/4p
Photograph retrieved from http://hip.cor.gov/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1B1316W919I18.127246&profile=rpl&uri=full%3D3100001%7E%21376157%7E%210&ri=2&&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&ri=2&view=SUMMARY&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&source=~!horizon&enhancedcontentdata=true%0A%09%09#focus
Biography - Knuckleheads: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka
Summary
How did Jon Scieszka get so funny, anyway? Growing up as one of six brothers was a good start, but that was just the beginning. Throw in Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, jokes told at family dinner, and the result is Knucklehead . Part memoir, part scrapbook, this hilarious trip down memory lane provides a unique glimpse into the formation of a creative mind and a free spirit.
Reviews
Gr 3-6--Jon Scieszka is well-known for his quirky sense of humor and ability to connect with adolescent readers, especially boys, and was named the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. His autobiography (Viking, 2008) is clearly aimed at his target audience and it hits an easy bulls-eye. Scieszka reads his book, explaining about growing up in a family of six boys in Flint, Michigan. Growing boys and common sense don't usually go together, and the author's tales from his boyhood offer plenty of evidence. Peppering the nativity scene with army soldiers, peeing on the space heater, dealing with vomiting cats on car trips, being required to write a list of bad words for his teacher (a nun), and explosions both small and large clearly explain how Scieszka turned out the way he did. There's plenty of bathroom humor here as well as wanton destruction. More than one of the many short chapters quickly overwhelms listeners with a feeling of impending doom as the boys come up with yet another "good idea." Yet through it all, there's the unmistakable feeling of togetherness, unity, and a sense of the security felt as part of a large and very forgiving family. There's even a short addendum where Scieszka talks about his writing. Listeners will laugh out loud and feel an uncontrollable urge to repeat bits of these stories to anyone who happens in range. Isn't that the best recommendation? - Teresa Bateman
Gr 3-6 --Just try to keep kids away from this collection. Inspired book design makes the volume look like an old-school comic. The front cover features an elementary-aged Scieszka popping up out of a military tank, surrounded by explosions and bombers, while the back advertises a "Treasure Chest of Fun" and displays chapter titles and excerpts along with nostalgic graphics. Scieszka answers the oft-asked question, "Where do you get your ideas?" with a slew of childhood anecdotes and his family's escapades that have given him plenty of material from which to draw. Born in 1954, the second of six brothers, he writes about Catholic and military schools, buying gifts, chores, and hand-me-downs-all familiar experiences related with a specific Scieszka twist. His mother, a nurse, insisted that her sons use proper terms for anatomy ("rectum" rather than "butt") and bodily functions ("urinate" rather than "pee"), making way for several laugh-out-loud moments. Some stories are just amiably funny, such as wearing recycled Halloween costumes, while others help readers understand more about how the author developed his unique sense of humor. Although it includes the car trip story from Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Knucklehead is aimed at a younger audience. Family photographs and other period illustrations appear throughout. Entertaining and fast-moving, silly and sweet, this homage to family life is not to be missed. - Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst
And so...
While many students will find it difficult to connect with some of these stories of growing up in the 60s, they will laugh out loud at the antics these boys play. Many of the experiences make the reader want to try them, thankfully there are warnings to "do not try this at home, or anywhere else"! While this was a walk down memory lane for me as I connected with a lot of the phrases, having also grown up in this time period, many readers will experience this lighter look at life in the past with fresh and wondering eyes.
Use this book for...
A librarian can easily pick a chapter to read aloud during a lesson on autobiographies, as the chapters are short and the language is easy to read. It would be a great way to discuss the differences between autobiographies and biographies. This could also be a good opening for an author study, introducing Jon Scieszka and having students read two or more of his books to find elements of his childhood within those stories.
References
Scieszka, Jon. Knucklehead : Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka. New York: Viking, 2008.
Summary retrieved from Syndetic Solutions, Richardson Public Library Online Catalog, July 22, 2011.
Bateman, Teresa. School Library Journal, Dec2009, Vol. 55 Issue 12, p66-66, 1/9p,
Whitehurst, Lucinda Snyder. School Library Journal, Oct2008, Vol. 54 Issue 10, p174-175, 2p
Photograph retrieved from http://hip.cor.gov/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1313I675288OX.128400&profile=rpl&uri=full%3D3100001%7E%21421958%7E%2125&ri=6&term=Scieszka%2C+Jon&index=PAUTHOR&uindex=&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&ri=6&view=SUMMARY&aspect=subtab35&menu=search&source=~!horizon&enhancedcontentdata=true%0A%09%09#focus
