Eggs, 1, 2, 3: Who Will The Babies Be?
"Matte cut-paper collages with wood-grain, paper, fabric, and other textures illustrate this nature-themed counting book. "Nine eggs, round and black, safe in shimmering jelly, floating on the pond. Who will the babies be?" reads one spread. Gatefolds open to the right or upward, revealing the answers: "9 frog tadpoles, breathing with feathery gills and swishing finny tails." Charming and lovingly designed entertainment. Ages 3-up" -Publishers Weekly (June 2012)"Writing for a younger audience than usual, Halfmann pares down the text,  leaving a math/science book that will have readers counting, guessing and learning baby-animal names...A clean design and predictable pattern help readers join in...For her picture-book debut, Thompson plays  up the nature theme by using richly textured papers and fabrics to fashion her cut-paper collages. While her shapes and outlines are quite simple, their textures are anything but plain, adding another whole dimension to the artwork...A solid addition to the spring egg shelf." -Kirkus Reviews"From 1 penguin to 10 ostriches, this gatefold gallery  offers a first gander at eggs--not just avian but the frog, snake, fish,  and platypus sort, too--and the hatchlings that emerge from them. Composing simple cut-shape collages from a variety of scored, patterned,  and textured papers in subdued hues, Thompson provides plenty of clues...Halfmann's commentary, likewise patterned,  is rich in natural details...Literal-minded younger children will have no trouble absorbing both the informational content and the gentle verbal and visual rhythms." -Booklist (August 2012)"Part counting book, part science book, this engaging title will find a natural home in classrooms and storytimes. Each spread features a  number and a type of egg and invites readers, through bouncy rhyming text, to guess, "Who will the babies be?" The recto folds out to reveal the hatchlings. All types of eggs are covered here, from penguins to caterpillars to fish to snakes...The engaging question-and-answer format is enhanced by Thompson's gorgeous mixed-media collage illustrations..." -Kathleen Kelly MacMillan for School Library Journal (July 2012)