Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Apr. 15, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 16))
This beautifully illustrated introduction to eggs resembles pages drawn from a naturalist's diary. The text, scrolled out in elegant brown ink, works on two levels. Larger print makes simple observations that, read together, sound almost like poetry: "An egg is quiet. . . . An egg is colorful. An egg is shapely." On each spread, words in smaller print match up with illustrations to offer more facts about bird and fish eggs across the animal spectrum. The illustrations are too detailed for read-alouds, but there's a great deal here to engage children up close. The succinct text will draw young fact hounds, particularly fans of Steve Jenkins' Biggest, Strongest, Fastest (1995) and his similar titles. Long's illustrations are elegant and simple, and the gallery of eggs, as brilliantly colored and polished as gems, will inspire kids to marvel at animals' variety and beauty. A spread showing X-ray views of young embryos growing into animal young makes this a good choice for reinforcing concepts about life cycles. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2006, Chronicle, $16.95. PreS-Gr. 2.

María E. Gentle (Children's Literature)
Many urban children are only familiar with the ordinary grocery store chicken egg. Here is a wonderful opportunity to introduce little ones (and grown-ups too) to the variety of beautiful eggs existing in nature. More than sixty eggs are gorgeously drawn in ink and watercolor--a real treat for the eye. Little touches--such as the ruler included so we can gauge size--are included. The text matches the illustrations perfectly--or is it the other way around? The end papers will keep you entertained too. This is a truly gorgeous, beginning nonfiction book for children that will keep adults’ attention as well. 2006, Chronicle Books, $16.95. Ages 5 to 10.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 6))
Worthy successor to Ruth Heller's Chickens Aren't The Only Ones (1981), this engrossing album pairs images of dozens of precisely detailed eggs and their diverse wild parents to basic facts presented in neatly hand-lettered lines. Nearly all depicted actual size (and those that aren't, are consistently so labeled), Long's eggs look real enough to pick up, whether placed in natural settings or suspended on white pages. All, whether from birds, insects, reptiles, fish or amphibians, are not only identified, but Aston adds both topical phrases-"Eggs come in different sizes"-to each spread and, usually, memorably presented additional facts: "An ostrich egg can weigh as much as 8 pounds. It's so big and so round, it takes two hands to hold one egg." A delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots and textures. 2006, Chronicle, 36p, $16.95. Category: Picture book/nonfiction. Ages 6 to 9. Starred Review. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Robert E. Knowlton (Science Books and Films (Vol. 42, No. 4))
The title of this book is the first sentence of what passes for a story line, which ends with "an egg is noisy!" accompanied by a drawing of hatchlings of the "quiet" egg illustrated on the first page. (This ending line really should have been rephrased, since it's the newborns that are peeping, not the broken eggs.) In between, some characteristics of eggs are noted (e. g., they are colorful and textured), and adaptations, such as being speckled or "pointy," are briefly explained. The hand lettered text is richly garnished by over 100 ink and watercolor illustrations of eggs (and many of the adults that produce them) of a rather eclectic array of species, all identified by common names. As is to be expected, birds make up the majority (75%) of the animals pictured, but insects (1,586), crustaceans, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are represented as well. No part of the book has gone unillustrated; even the front and rear endpapers (pastedowns) are decorated with the shell pattern of one of the eggs. This book is visually pleasing, educational, and utilitarian—destined to be a "keeper" in many homes. A child who might have had it read to him or her as a preschooler could use it several years later to identify an unknown egg found on a field trip. Highly Recommended, Grades PreK-4. 2006, Chronicle Books, 32pp., $16.95. Ages 4 to 10.