Munro, R. (2011). Hatch! Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children. Upon discovering a nest, who hasn't been intrigued about what lies inside the eggs in that nest? This clever picture book provides some answers in an interactive fashion. The author/illustrator devotes two two-page spreads to each winged creature. The first spread asks readers to guess what kind of eggs these are and then on the facing page offers interesting clues and odd facts about the bird. The facts are contained in a colored shape precisely the shape of the egg or clutch of eggs on the facing page. When the page is turned, two brightly colored pages reveal the answer to whose eggs these are and offer even more interesting facts about the bird. Particularly appealing is Munro's refusal to paint the birds in isolation. Instead, she depicts them in their familiar natural habitat and shows other species that can be found in the same area, reminding readers of the interconnectedness of life. Thus, a mallard duck family is shown coexisting with a great blue heron, an alligator, an osprey, and a frog. Although readers are likely to be familiar with most of the nine birds she features, they certainly will not be familiar with the facts she provides or the particular characteristics of the eggs. The use of India ink and colored ink for the illustrations as well as plenty of space around the eggs allows the eye to be drawn to each unique egg, none of which is exactly alike. The back matter offers places to find more information as well as interesting bird-related vocabulary. Knowing how the author chose the particular birds for this text would have made it even better. This book would be a nice addition to a collection containing the impressive An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hatch!
Munro, R. (2011). Hatch! Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children. Upon discovering a nest, who hasn't been intrigued about what lies inside the eggs in that nest? This clever picture book provides some answers in an interactive fashion. The author/illustrator devotes two two-page spreads to each winged creature. The first spread asks readers to guess what kind of eggs these are and then on the facing page offers interesting clues and odd facts about the bird. The facts are contained in a colored shape precisely the shape of the egg or clutch of eggs on the facing page. When the page is turned, two brightly colored pages reveal the answer to whose eggs these are and offer even more interesting facts about the bird. Particularly appealing is Munro's refusal to paint the birds in isolation. Instead, she depicts them in their familiar natural habitat and shows other species that can be found in the same area, reminding readers of the interconnectedness of life. Thus, a mallard duck family is shown coexisting with a great blue heron, an alligator, an osprey, and a frog. Although readers are likely to be familiar with most of the nine birds she features, they certainly will not be familiar with the facts she provides or the particular characteristics of the eggs. The use of India ink and colored ink for the illustrations as well as plenty of space around the eggs allows the eye to be drawn to each unique egg, none of which is exactly alike. The back matter offers places to find more information as well as interesting bird-related vocabulary. Knowing how the author chose the particular birds for this text would have made it even better. This book would be a nice addition to a collection containing the impressive An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long.
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