Module 11 - An Egg is Quiet

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long

Summary - An Egg is Quiet is a beautifully illustrated work which depicts the world of eggs, and their many natural settings and services, in a restful and informative manner, similar to the style of 19th century "flower books" or "naturalist's diaries". Vacillating between highly detailed pages and whole leafs which only show one egg, this book is designed for individual exploration and offers children a quiet place to explore natural items and ideas at their own pace. Although it is not conducive for either a read aloud Storytime or for readers who need more stimulation, An Egg is Quiet is a beautiful and interesting book which will both engage and enlighten young readers.

Impressions - This book is designed as a educational work of art for children. The subject matter is interesting, if a little obscure, and the text is sporadic enough to set it in the realm of picture book first, information piece next. It has a number of subtle additions (rulers at the top of pages and text placed in unique positions on the page) which most children will most likely discover only over time or intense review unless they are specifically pointed out. However, the discovery aspect of this book is a large part of it charm and children should be given quality time for review with it and allowed to progress at their own pace. While their is no real 'story' in the text, it does follow a natural progression from birth to life, with the genesis stages between, and the lyrical nature of the language allows kids to read it without feeling as if their are being 'taught', increasing their enjoyment factor and, hopefully, establishing non-fiction or information books as part of their literary world.

Reviews - An Egg is Quiet is discussed in a 2008 article on the use of information books in teaching(1) as examples of works which children can be enticed to love, and therefore learn from. Working off of the premise that children are in face more drawn to informational books than others in early childhood, the authors point to techniques that teachers can use to work off of this love, and show how books like An Egg is Quiet are especially helpful for establishing a foundation of non-fiction reading, because they encourage "knowledge seeking" and entice children to explore less familiar text styles, but only, as in the case of An Egg..., when they are well thought out and well structured.

Use - An Egg is Quiet is especially designed for young elementary aged students. It uses simple, but descriptive language, and includes beautifully detailed and colorful illustrations which will capture the attention of active children. Repetition may be necessary for children whose attention may not be able to last for long periods of quiet time, but each page offers enough detail to offer new discovery upon each reading. The interesting events and concepts described (camouflage, fossilization, birth) are expressed in a realistic manner which makes them real for children, with none of the sensationalism or over-sentimentality which sometimes makes its way into children's books.

(1) Read, S., Reitzel, D. R., & Fawson, P. C. (2008). Do you want to know what I learned? Using informational trade books as models to teach text structure. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 213-219.