An Egg is Quiet

An Egg is Quiet
Author: Diana Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN-10: 0811844285
ISBN-13: 978-0811844284


An Egg is Quiet is a glorious feast for the eyes. The book is an illustrated introduction to eggs of amazing diversity. The simple and poetic text just adds a quiet drama to the whole book.

“An egg is quiet It sits there, under its mother's feathers... On top of its father's feet ...Warm. Cozy."

The book displays eggs in all their glory with different textures, colors and themes. There are lacewing eggs, salmon roe, ostrich eggs, etc. Each egg portrayed is gorgeously painted in rich, layered watercolors of such depth and color that they seem to be real. You can almost feel the depth of texture. The endpapers of the book are pale blue and speckled giving the feel of an eggshell. The attention to detail is simply amazing. What a labor of love this must have been!

The book talks about the shapes of eggs – the tubular eggs of the Dogfish Shark or round like a sea turtle’s. It talks about size – the mammoth eggs of the ostrich. It goes on to discuss egg embryos, egg habitats, etc.

The colors! Oh, the colors used are wonderful! Pale blues, mottled greens, light browns, oranges that ache with their beauty, butter yellows, stunningly simple brown ink text that adds to the lushness of the colors used in the gallery of jewels called eggs. What a lovely way to teach children (and adults) about nature and its diversity. An Egg is Quiet is instructional, arty and simply beautiful. An absolute must for any library and a book that is sure to be pored over lovingly for years to come. A masterpiece!

Book Description from the Publisher:

Award-winning artist Sylvia Long has teamed with up-and-coming author Dianna Aston to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to eggs. From tiny hummingbird eggs to giant ostrich eggs, oval ladybug eggs to tubular dogfish eggs, gooey frog eggs to fossilized dinosaur eggs, it magnificently captures the incredible variety of eggs and celebrates their beauty and wonder.

The evocative text is sure to inspire lively questions and observations. Yet while poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to more than 60 types of eggs and an interesting array of egg facts. Even the endpapers brim with information. A tender and fascinating guide that is equally at home being read to a child on a parent's lap as in a classroom reading circle.

About the author and illustrator:

Dianna Aston spends a lot of time in her backyard hoping to find new eggs. She often enlists the help of her husband, children, and their assorted pets. She lives in Texas.
Sylvia Long is the illustrator of many books for children including the best-selling Sylvia Long's Mother Goose, Hush Little Baby, and Snug As a Bug, all published by Chronicle Books. Ms. Long's detailed paintings are inspired by her love of animals and the outdoors. She lives in Arizona.

His Dark Materials Omnibus

His Dark Materials Omnibus
Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0375847227
ISBN-13: 978-0375847226

When I first heard of The Golden Compass I wanted to read it, but held off doing so because I had a lot going on at the time. When I was ready to read it, there was so much buzz about it that I was inundated and put it down yet for a later time when I could pick it up without being influenced too much by that buzz. Then I forgot about it and I think the books are over at one of my son’s houses.

Just recently, I received a review copy of the His Dark Materials Omnibus and got all fired up to read it. I just wish I hadn’t done so right before bedtime. I was so fascinated that I stayed up all night, stayed home the next day and read till it felt my eyes were bleeding. It was that good. Now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long.

The first book in the series is The Golden Compass, where Lyra Belaqua and her dæmon, Pantalaimon are first introduced. They live in an alternate Oxford where science, theology, and magic are all very closely aligned and everyone seems to understand it all.

Lyra herself is an incredible character. She’s spunky, brave, smart and determined as well as being the despair of the college folk who raise her. She lives in Jordan College within Oxford and delights in running wild, organizing great battles with rival children and has such an inordinate curiosity and sense of adventure.

When her Uncle Asriel visits the college she goes a little too far and finds out more than she should. He's there to solicit funds for a return journey to the North, where he has observed strange goings-on, including a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. After he leaves, Lyra finds herself placed in the charge of the mysterious Mrs. Coulter and in possession of a strange and mysterious golden compass that can answer questions if she learns how to read it. Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter's connection with the dreaded children-stealing Gobblers and runs away, joining a group of gyptians to find the missing kids, in particular, her beloved friend Roger.

This action-packed, highly literary adventure is filled with wonderful things – armored bears who speak, flying witches, secrets and lies, evil, a flying balloon piloted by a wild Texan and one hell of an intricate plot.

The Subtle Knife is the second book in the series and continues the adventure. This book starts in another universe and centers on a boy named Will Parry. His universe is modern day London and he’s got just as much going on as Lyra had in her universe. Will’s mother is incapable of taking care of herself, his father is missing and there are bad men trying to find out something. Desperate, Will finds someone to care for his mother and somehow manages to stumble into another world, a world that Lyra has stumbled into as well. The second book is just as intense and wondrous as the first with just as much, if not more excitement and drama. The plot twists and turns with the grace and power of an Olympic gymnast, never missing a beat. New characters as well as old abound and each is as detailed and finely drawn as the main characters. What an amazing talent Mr. Pullman has! Absolutely riveting and completely entrancing!

The Amber Spyglass, the final chapter is incredible. I kept thinking that the last book would somehow miss the mark but I have no idea why I would think that. The Amber Spyglass if anything surpasses the other two and concludes the series in a most phenomenal way.

The beautiful witch Serafina Pekkala is back as she seeks out the armored bear Iorek Byrnison to help her with Lord Asriel’s crusade. Worlds are explored, mysteries are solved, the war is raging, angels are wandering, the worlds are changing and Lyra, Will and their friends must somehow save it all.

Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece of literature that is literary and smart, funny and sad, heart-wrenching and amazingly wonderful. The fact that kids are reading this high-minded, intelligent and almost Dickensian literature warms my heart. I think that 500 years from now, these books will still be in print and every child and grownup will know of Lyra and her worlds.


Book Description from the publisher:

FOR THE FIRST time, all three books of Philip Pullman's award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) will be published in their entirety in one volume. Perfect for both new and established Pullman fans who want to read (or reread) the whole trilogy before The Golden Compass movie debuts on December 7, 2007, this handsome 6 x 9 omnibus will feature every word of the trilogy as well as Philip Pullman's chapter opening art. Also, new and exclusive to this edition: Philip Pullman has written two pages of new vignettes for each book in the trilogy. Readers will be delighted to discover these intriguing new passages at the end of each book's section in the omnibus. About the AuthorPhilip Pullman won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work. He lives in Oxford, England.

The Police Cloud

The Police Cloud
Author: Christoph Neiman
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
ISBN-10: 0375839631
ISBN-13: 978-0375839634

Illustrator Christoph Niemann`s first book The Police Cloud is both a charming story and a visual treat. It’s a story about a cloud who, since he was a very small puff wanted to be a policeman and help people. When given his chance at his dream job and the big blue hat that comes with it, he finds unexpected obstacles to his chosen career.

The cloud tries so hard to be a good officer and blunders one assignment after another. A thief escapes right through him and his day as a traffic officer is a disaster. When he finally breaks down and cries he finds he is good at something and finds just the right career for him.

The story is touching and sweet. I read this to my grandson and granddaughter, expecting that the boy would love it and the girl might be a little bored (she loves pink and sparkly), but they surprised me. Both were completely entranced and I had to read it again and again and again. We read it four times in an hour and they both loved it. I see it getting pride of place on their bookshelf.

The illustrations are gorgeous and really have the feel of a beautiful blue sky and a very puffy white cloud. The sky is almost another character with the city fading in the background. The Cloud is just about the sweetest character I’ve seen and he just makes you smile. Both children and adults will love the well-meaning little cloud. I love the book’s message that everyone can aspire to be something and even if it’s not what they’re good at, everyone is good at something.

The Police Cloud is very highly recommended and sure to be a long time favorite. I see this becoming one of the classics of children’s literature.