Whose Egg Is That?

by Darrin Lunde, Kelsey Oseid (Illustrator)

Overview

"Identify eggs and animals that lay them with clues in this guessing book"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623543297
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	01/31/2023
Series:	Whose Is THAT?
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Darrin Lunde is the collections manager in the Division of Mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. He's written several books for children, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book Hello, Bumblebee Bat, as well as Whose Poop Is That?; Whose Footprint Is That?; Hello, Baby Beluga; and Meet the Meerkat.

Kelsey Oseid illustrated Whose Poop Is That? and Whose Footprint Is That? She received her BA with honors in Visual Communications from Loyola University Chicago. She works in both traditional and digital media and often mixes the two to create her illustrations. www.kelzuki.com

Editorial Reviews

2022-10-12
Guess whose egg this is.

The format of this interactive introduction to egg identification is unchanged from previous titles in the series (Whose Footprint Is That?, 2019, etc.). On one spread, set against a blank background, the title question is asked, the egg is shown, and a clue—perhaps a part of the creature or a glimpse of its habitat—is given. Turn the page to find the answer along with a short paragraph of further information set on a full-bleed scene of the creature and its nest. Interestingly, birds are not the only animals featured; following robin, ostrich, penguin, and killdeer eggs, we see the fossilized egg of a dinosaur, a leatherback sea turtle’s egg buried in the sand, and even an egg belonging to a mammal—a platypus. The simple, two-level text (both using relatively large type) offers options for beginning readers; the images will show well to a group. The fun is in the puzzle, so those reading this aloud should be sure to give their audience time to react. For those intrigued by the subject, there are further facts on a final page. The creators’ choice of subjects is thoughtful, the information accurate, and the design appealing, making this a solid addition to a nature shelf even if it already includes Mia Posada’s Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg? (2007). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Egg-spect requests for more nature-themed puzzles like this. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews

This board book adaptation follows the same format as the original, though slightly shorter in length. Readers are introduced to an egg with one defining characteristic pointed out, such as color, size, texture, or location, and asked the title question. Along with the egg are hints, such as a single ostrich feather, or a sandy beach with a tiny piece of ocean in the corner. The answer is revealed with the turn of the page, and the main characteristic is explained. A robin’s egg is bright blue because the color protects it from strong sunlight. An ostrich egg is the largest egg and can weigh more than three pounds. The realistic gouache illustrations depict the eggs in their natural habitat along with their parents in full detail. Readers might see a colony of emperor penguins with dads protecting their eggs from the snow and ice, or a small dinosaur hatching from a clutch of eggs in a prehistoric setting. Most eggs come from birds, but there are a few reptiles too, like the dinosaur and the loggerhead sea turtle, though the board book doesn’t show the mammal egg layer, the platypus. The final two pages show a few “eggcellent” egg facts, which will probably be less appreciated by a toddler audience than the bright pictures and simple statements of the earlier pages. Still, this is a fun introduction to a common element in the natural world.
—Children's Literature

Children are invited to guess which animal laid each mysterious egg in this charming board book adaptation. Short, factual clues pair with naturalistic illustrations, encouraging close observation and early scientific thinking. Oseid’s artwork scales beautifully, making the science approachable for little hands. This book turns learning into a playful, fact-filled game. VERDICT A smart and inviting pick for those growing the early nonfiction shelves.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher