Award-winning artist Sylvia Long has teamed with up-and-coming author Dianna Aston to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to eggs. Fr...
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reviews
Nov 09, 2009
Beth
rated it: 
An Egg is Quiet is a rich natural history picture book, celebrating diversity by showcasing over sixty eggs from birds, fish, reptiles, insects and more. Aston’s poetic introduction (“It sits there, under it’s mother’s feathers… on top of it’s father’s feet… buried beneath the sand. Warm. Cozy.”) is the jumping off point for an eggs factapolooza. Eggs are described visually as shapely, colorful, textured, and artistic, with beautifully rendered examples of each. Eggs are also characterized as cl
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Mar 20, 2010
Janine
rated it: 
Spring break is coming up soon! I enjoy walking around Lake Elizabeth and seeing all of the freshly hatched ducklings and goslings waddling after their mothers. Ducks and geese aren't the only ones hatching out of eggs. In fact, different types eggs -- although they posess so much variety -- have a lot in common.
This book, An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Aston, has fabulous pictures to help you identify eggs as well as wealth of information about eggs.
An egg is quiet.
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This book, An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Aston, has fabulous pictures to help you identify eggs as well as wealth of information about eggs.
An egg is quiet.
More...
Dec 15, 2011
This book is written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long. It is about eggs of all different types of animals and creatures. The idea of this book does not seem very exciting but An Egg is Quiet is a beautiful book that is filled with great facts but also very intriguing. It is best for students who already have taken an interest in nature. Each part of the book talks in detail about eggs such as colors, textures ect. The illustrator uses ink and watercolors. The text is bold and
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May 12, 2010
Mistiemae1
rated it:
With a whole slew of spring books chosen from the library, this is the one my 6-year-olds went back to again and again. They adored seeing the various shapes, sizes, and colors of the eggs and trying to match the illustrations to eggs they've seen in life. Also fascinating to them was the illustration of embryonic development inside a hen egg, a salmon egg, and a grasshopper egg. The information itself was a bit beyond their capabilities, but the pictures got across to them those things they
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Nov 13, 2009
Kathryn
rated it:
A beautiful, gentle and fascinating story of eggs; bird egg, insect eggs, fish eggs... There is enough "story" through the consistency of the poem, repeating the "An egg is..." for various aspects, such as "Quiet" or "Smooth" etc. that this feels like a cozy read aloud rather than an informational volume. And I love the illustrations! As a kid, I would have poured over all the different types of eggs, noting the different colors and speckles and even sha
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3 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 03, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I recently read A Seed Is Sleepy and I didn’t think I’d like this book as much, but actually it was at least as magical, entertaining, and educational.
I never knew eggs came in so many sizes (the eggs are shown at their exact size except the ones labeled as larger than actual size) and shapes and colors and patterns and textures. As a kid I would have spent hours perusing the images of each of these eggs and then gone back many times for more viewing sessions. So many of the eggs are More...
I never knew eggs came in so many sizes (the eggs are shown at their exact size except the ones labeled as larger than actual size) and shapes and colors and patterns and textures. As a kid I would have spent hours perusing the images of each of these eggs and then gone back many times for more viewing sessions. So many of the eggs are More...
6 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Apr 07, 2009
The Library Lady
rated it:
I used this last week in programs for children as young as 2. The illustrations, combined with the line in big print on each page, made it work beautifully for these smaller kids. They were really fascinated by the spreads on colors, shapes and on the petrified dinosaur egg.
This was even better with the older (3-6 year old) crowd. For them, the details in the text were helpful with the discussions each 2 page spread inspired. And the end papers, showing the huge variety of animals th More...
This was even better with the older (3-6 year old) crowd. For them, the details in the text were helpful with the discussions each 2 page spread inspired. And the end papers, showing the huge variety of animals th More...
May 24, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
I love this book for the beautiful illustrations and the provocative statements that make readers think about eggs in a whole new way. Each spread features a simple statement in large cursive style text and supporting details in smaller type. The main text includes such proclomations as "An egg is clever." and "An egg is giving." These aren't statements we typically associate with eggs, but the sidebars reinforce the main statement and give readers a new appreciation for the
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Oct 15, 2010
Keeko
rated it: 
The illustrations are beautiful, and the idea is good, but the illustrations overwhelm the text. This is the kind of book that adults would be thrilled about because of the quality of the artwork without thinking about how the young reader would be engaged. If it's supposed to be a book to get children interested in the broad range of animal life, then the text should be presented in such a way to help them read the names of the animals. I feel bad giving it a so-so review because it's obvious t
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Nov 28, 2011
Kyla
rated it:
This nonfiction book describes different characteristics of many different types of eggs. There are labels, captions, time-lines, and diagrams to help the reader understand and visualize the different types of eggs. Each pages goes through a different characteristic of what an egg is, i.e. "an egg is clever;" this page describes some eggs that are camouflaged, and other facts are listed on the page as well. Also, the illustrations are beautiful. This is a book that I would like to have
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Jun 21, 2010
Abigail
rated it:
Like their subsequent A Seed Is Sleepy (which I chanced to read first), author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long have created an immensely appealing nature-study with An Egg Is Quiet, one that both educates and enthralls. Each two-page spread opens with a general statements about eggs - "An egg is colorful. An egg is shapely. An egg is clever." - before presenting examples, and more detailed information. The accompanying illustrations are simply gorgeous, perfectly capturi
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4 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 06, 2011
Becca
rated it:
A wonderful book to incorporate a painless science lesson. An Egg Is Quiet has facts about eggs, all shapes and sizes. It allows students to realize that eggs are not all just plain, white, and one size only. There are speckled eggs, colored eggs, and enormous eggs. Students, especially pre-school age, will be stunned to know that eggs can be more than just white. They will love the illustrations and find humor in the story as well. A cute read for younger ages, first grade and below.
Aug 08, 2011
Randie
rated it:
Incredible! I love the elegance, detail, and beauty of the illustrations. The swirly font is a perfect match to the elegant illustrations. I enjoyed seeing all the different types of eggs in the beginning (and throughout the book) and then seeing all the creatures that came from the eggs at the end. What an amazing way to present information that might otherwise be boring.
I must find more books from Aston and Long.
I must find more books from Aston and Long.
3 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 27, 2011
Karly
rated it:
This was a great book! Not only is it a cute story line, but the children are learning all about eggs as well. They are able to match the different eggs to the animal it belongs to. There are kid friendly pictures and the pictures are extremely colorful which catches the attention of little kids. I thought this was a great book and I think any little kid would enjoy reading it or getting it read to them.
Feb 22, 2010
Chandra
rated it:
A GORGEOUS book! The cover illustration only gives a tiny glimpse of the treasures contained within. One of my very favorite features are the first and last pages - the first a two page spread featuring dozens of different eggs, the last a two page spread featuring all the animals hatched from those eggs. You could spend an hour just flipping back and forth - discussing, predicting and marveling. And that's only one tiny feature of this wonderful book. It also covers egg size, texture, deve
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23 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Apr 08, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
The illustrations are lovely and the idea is a pretty good one, but all in all it would be a bit boring for a kid. Unless the kid is in one of those explore the world and know everything moods, this book would be unsatisfying. I'm not sure how much research was really necessary for this book, but the author and illustrator did mention at least three Earth Science and biology doctors as well as members of natural societies as sources.
Apr 08, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
The illustrations in this book are amazing. When I first started reading this book I wasn't for sure if I wanted to read a whole book on eggs, but afterward I realized it was so much more than that. Even as an adult I learned some new things. This book will definitely change a child's image of the plain white egg as they explore textures, colors and sizes of various eggs!
Nov 26, 2011
Laura
rated it:
A lovely book all about eggs. Dianna Aston addresses bird, insect and other animal eggs. The text is informative and interesting. Sylvia Long's illustrations are beautifully done and I spent more time inspecting the artwork as I did reading the text. Recommended for K - grade 2. Older and younger readers may also appreciate the pictures and information.
May 28, 2009
Tiffany
rated it:
Beautiful illustrations! I like the way this book is written. The main text is very simple and appropriate for young children, but there is a lot of extra information included with the illustrations and in side text that makes a meatier read for a child who wants more information. I use this when I talk to kindergarten students about "what makes a bird a bird?"
Apr 27, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
This is a great book to illustrate all that eggs can be to young readers. It is factual, but also fun and entertaining to read. The illustrations are very intriguing and exciting, so they draw you in. this is a good read for pre-school-kindergarten. Many activities can be drawn from this book also. It could be a good read around easter time.
Nov 20, 2011
Jessie
rated it:
A beautifully illustrated introduction to eggs: their diversity and their purpose. I was disappointed that, when eggs were enlarged, it simply said "larger than actual size," rather than giving a general idea if it were 10 times larger, 100 times larger, etc. I think some sort of reference for that would have been helpful.
Mar 04, 2010
Linda
rated it:
This beautifully illustrated book shows how an egg IS quiet--it just sits there, until... (it hatches. And then it gets noisy!!!)
The focus is on bird eggs, but some insect and other eggs are featured. I like books that have a simple text and then additional notes for children who are either older or very interested in the topic.
The focus is on bird eggs, but some insect and other eggs are featured. I like books that have a simple text and then additional notes for children who are either older or very interested in the topic.
Jun 14, 2008
Janelle
rated it:
The sparkly title caught my eye, and I'm glad it did, This is a book about eggs, all kinds of eggs: birds, fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles. It will get children thinking about the variety of animals that come from eggs, about birth and growth. It's sure to inspire an interest in the natural world. It would make a great purchase to have on reference when exploring during nature hikes or even a visit to the zoo. I think it's fun to see the types of eggs full grown animals started out in. Be su
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Dec 11, 2011
Louise
rated it:
An absolutely beautiful book. The illustrations are just fantastic. The text is interesting too. And packed with information but without trying to hard. I didn't know seabird eggs were pointy at one end to help stop them rolling off a cliff. It certainly makes sense if you think about it.
Sep 12, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Beautiful pictures. Graceful non-fiction. Feels like you are reading a very important yet beautiful and informative piece of literature teaching you about eggs. Think of the Field Museum. The pictures remind me of those antique florals except with eggs. Great tie in to a science class.
May 26, 2009
Hbennion
rated it:
Fabulous illustrations. My one year old daughter loves reading this book, and so do I. There is so much to learn from it about different kinds of eggs. I also like that there are layers of text so you can choose how much to read to your little one.
Oct 07, 2009
Debrarian
rated it:
This simple poem about an egg hatching is illustrated with fantastic watercolors of the eggs of scores of different creatures (not all birds) with all kinds of cool info about their shapes, weights, textures, incubation periods, markings, etc.
Jul 09, 2009
Terrah
rated it:
I've been getting some books from the library to supplement Cora's Dora obsession. She basically thinks the library is a Dora book dispensary. She did like this one though, and I'm interested to borrow another one from this author, A Seed Is Quiet.
Jun 01, 2010
Megan B
rated it:
One of those beautiful picture books that is also educational. You don't have to read all of the small print to enjoy the book. Tanner loved it when we ready just the large printed stuff.
"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."
"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."
Sep 14, 2011
Skedatt
rated it:
Great intro science book. I really like this series. It even had my active two year old sitting relatively still and pointing out the things that he recognized. All this while keeping my 4 and 6 yr olds interested.
