| First edition | |
| Author | Laura Vaccaro Seeger |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Laura Vaccaro Seeger |
| Cover artist | Seeger |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction, picture book |
| Publisher | Roaring Brook Press |
Publication date | September 4, 2007 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor Book |
| ISBN | 9781596432727 |
First the Egg is a New York Times bestselling children's picture book written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, published by Roaring Book Press in 2007. [1] It was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2008 [2] and also appeared on the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books list [3] and the American Library Association Notable Children's Books list. [4]
The book comprises a series of die-cut pages that convey various forms of transformation. Seeger uses word play and alters the composition of the illustrations between cut-outs to create unexpected relationships among basic concepts such as time, opposites, and colors. [5] In 2009, the company Weston Woods Studios, Inc. made a version of the book, narrated by Elle Fanning, with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young.
Publishers Weekly described First the Egg as "another nimble page-turner...", [6] and Inis magazine called it "whimsical and bold..." [7]