First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

This lush picture book illustrates beginnings. First the egg, then the chicken it begins. It goes on to show tadpoles and frogs, seeds and flowers and more. The book then ties all the concepts together at the end. I read the book on a new e-book site, Lookybook, so I didn't experience the illustrations that won a Caldecott Honor Award first hand, but they were still vibrant and detailed. However, the book includes die cuts that didn't translate well on the computer screen. The site shows picture books, but doesn't allow you to enlarge them. There are links to buy the books from Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and an Independent Book Store network. It's a good way to preview books for purchase. To check it out go to: http://www.lookybook.com/index.php . (First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Roaring Brook Press, 2007.)