Sara London
The playground of perception seems to be Seeger's most natural arena. Her latest feat of ingenuity, First the Egg, is deceptively simple: It opens with an egg cutout, which, with a page turn, becomes a plump yellow chick; tadpole morphs into frog; seed grows into flower. But Seeger adds a metafictional twist: "word" segues into a handwritten draft of the story we're in the process of reading. A daub of pigment similarly evolves into a painted landscape incorporating chicken, frog and flower. Seeger's final pages bring us full circle: the chicken returns to its nest and lays "the egg!"…First the Egg arrives as an eye-catching reminder that "making it new" is always possible and that learning can be made sheer delight.
—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
In another nimble page-turner, Seeger (Black? White! Day? Night!)toys with die-cuts and strategically paired words. She introduces a chicken-or-egg dilemma on her book's cover, picturing a plump white egg in a golden-brown nest. Remove the die-cut dust jacket, and a hen appears on the glossy inner cover. The eggshell, thickly brushed in bluish-white and cream, also serves as the chicken's feathers. This "first/then" pattern is repeated ("First the egg/ then the chicken./ First the tadpole/ then the frog"), with a die-cut on every other page. By flipping a page, readers see the cutout in two contexts. For instance, when an ovoid shape is superimposed on a white ground, it's an egg; on a yolk-yellow ground, it's the body of a baby chick. Seeger lines up the recto and verso of every sheet, maintaining a casual mood with generous swabs of grassy greens, sky blues and oxide yellows on canvas. Given the exuberant imagery, the occasional cutout (like the fingernail-size seed of a blowsy peony-pink flower) looks none too impressive. But if minuscule die-cuts seem barely worth the trouble, they do imply the potential in humble sources. Seeger's clever conclusion brings all the elements together in an outdoor scene that returns readers to the opening: "First the paint/ then the picture . . . / First the chicken/ then the egg!" Ages 2-6. (Sept.)
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3—Based on the Caldecott and Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor book (Roaring Brook Press, 2007), this short film is as charming as its inspiration. Laura Vaccaro Seeger's tale about transformations, both natural and creative, comes to life through the magic of animation and irresistible sound effects; an egg hatching, a tadpole swimming in a pond, and a pencil writing on paper are almost as appealing to the senses as the chunky, saturated art. While the DVD format sacrifices the cutout effect of the book, the animated growth/transformations are equally fascinating and satisfying. In lieu of turning the page, thick squishy brushstrokes cover previous frames as chicken gives way to tadpole, frog to seed, flower to caterpillar, butterfly to page of words, story to tube of paint and, finally full circle, picture back to chicken. Gentle background music featuring guitar adds to the effect. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Viewers can decide and then write their own "First…then…" pairings. Subtitles are optional, and there is an interview with the author/illustrator. While learning about the genesis of the book and Seeger's career is fascinating, this feature is more suited for teachers and older students. Still, this little gem is the perfect introduction to a life cycle unit. Pair it with Simms Taback's Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Weston Woods, 2001), another creative transformation tale.—Barbara Auerbach, P.S. 217, Brooklyn, NY
Kirkus Reviews
A deceptively simple, decidedly playful sequence of statements invites readers to ponder, what comes first: the chicken or the egg? Carefully choreographed page turns and die-cuts focus on the process of change and becoming, so "First" sits alone on a yellow background, facing "the EGG"-an egg-shaped die-cut revealing a white egg against an orange-and-brown background. Turn the page, and "then" appears, the egg-shaped die-cut now forming the yellow body of a chick emerging from the shell, facing "the CHICKEN"-the white hen whose body gave color to the previous spread's egg. Tadpole and frog, seed and flower, caterpillar and butterfly all receive the same treatment, then word and story, paint and picture bring all the disparate elements together, nature being the catalyst for art. Seeger's vibrant, textured oil-on-canvas illustrations contain a wealth of subtlety, allowing the die-cuts to reveal cunning surprises with each turn of the page. Children and adults alike will delight in flipping the sturdy pages back and forth to recreate the transformations over and over again. Another perfectly pitched triumph from an emerging master of the concept book. (Picture book. 2-6)
From the Publisher
In another nimble page-turner, Seeger (Black? White! Day? Night!) toys with die-cuts and strategically paired words. She introduces a chicken-or-egg dilemma on her book's cover, picturing a plump white egg in a golden-brown nest. Remove the die-cut dust jacket, and a hen appears on the glossy inner cover. The eggshell, thickly brushed in bluish-white and cream, also serves as the chicken's feathers. This "first/then" pattern is repeated ("First the egg/ then the chicken./ First the tadpole/ then the frog"), with a die-cut on every other page. By flipping a page, readers see the cutout in two contexts. For instance, when an ovoid shape is superimposed on a white ground, it's an egg; on a yolk-yellow ground, it's the body of a baby chick. Seeger lines up the recto and verso of every sheet, maintaining a casual mood with generous swabs of grassy greens, sky blues and oxide yellows on canvas. Given the exuberant imagery, the occasional cutout (like the fingernail-size seed of a blowsy peony-pink flower) looks none too impressive. But if minuscule die-cuts seem barely worth the trouble, they do imply the potential in humble sources. Seeger's clever conclusion brings all the elements together in an outdoor scene that returns readers to the opening: "First the paint/ then the picture… / First the chicken/ then the egg!" Ages 2-6. (Sept.)” —Publishers Weekly
“A deceptively simple, decidedly playful sequence of statements invites readers to ponder, what comes first: the chicken or the egg? Carefully choreographed page turns and die-cuts focus on the process of change and becoming, so "First" sits alone on a yellow background, facing "the EGG"—an egg-shaped die-cut revealing a white egg against an orange-and-brown background. Turn the page, and "then" appears, the egg-shaped die-cut now forming the yellow body of a chick emerging from the shell, facing "the CHICKEN"—the white hen whose body gave color to the previous spread's egg. Tadpole and frog, seed and flower, caterpillar and butterfly all receive the same treatment, then word and story, paint and picture bring all the disparate elements together, nature being the catalyst for art. Seeger's vibrant, textured oil-on-canvas illustrations contain a wealth of subtlety, allowing the die-cuts to reveal cunning surprises with each turn of the page. Children and adults alike will delight in flipping the sturdy pages back and forth to recreate the transformations over and over again. Another perfectly pitched triumph from an emerging master of the concept book. (Picture book. 2-6)” —Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
AUGUST 2009 - AudioFile
Elle Fanning's quiet voice and relaxed pace set the perfect tone for poring over Laura Vaccaro Seeger's story of transformations. Amid gentle music and subtle sound effects, the egg becomes a chicken; the tadpole grows into a ribbeting frog. As the pattern is established, Fanning adds a questioning rise to her narration—seed? caterpillar? paint?—inviting the listener to anticipate and respond. The production includes an interview with the author, who remarks upon her creative process, describing her journal sketches, commenting on the influence of her training in animation, and articulating her desire to shape this concept book with the notion that both things and creativity are transformative. A.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
