The Egg

Gr 2-6--In this European import, gorgeous, earth-tone illustrations and fact-packed text introduce one of nature's most perfectly designed wonders: "An egg is fragile and strong at the same time--ordinary and extraordinary." Handsome spreads briefly cover an array of topics from the biological to the more philosophical. The bulk of the volume focuses on birds, describing the variety in shape and color of the eggs of different species, the anatomy of a chicken egg and embryonic development, and the largest egg (Madagascar's now-extinct elephant bird's, at about 13.39 inches) and the smallest egg (a hummingbird's, at .39 inches). A section highlighting the construction of various nests features the female oriole's tightly woven pouch nest, the mud mounds of the flamingo, the woodpecker's tree cavity hideaway, the guillemot's dangerous cliff nest (should the eggs be knocked over, their "highly adapted" conical shape causes them to spin in a tight circle rather than fall off the edge), and more. The rest of the book dips into insect eggs, frog spawn, reptiles, trout eggs, and the platypus before switching gears to discuss the role of the egg in art, religion, and mythology as well as egg-related customs and symbolism. VERDICT Filled with fascinating tidbits and striking visuals, this title, with its miscellany-style format, is more appropriate for browsing and musing than report writing.--Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs