November 21, 2016
Through photographs and direct, unadorned writing, Arnold (Living Fossils) takes readers to a (real-life) kindergarten class in Los Angeles, where the teacher, Mrs. Best, brings in eggs from the chickens she keeps at home. As the children tend to the eggs, keeping track of the 21-day incubation cycle on a calendar, readers learn about the parts of an egg and how a chick develops inside. Finally, the eggs begin to hatch: “Little by little, the shell begins to crack. It is like unzipping a zipper.” Arnold’s photographs clearly show the children observing, feeding, and learning how to hold the chicks, which eventually return to Mrs. Best’s house. A glossary and answers to common questions (“When you eat an egg, are you eating a baby chick?” “Do chickens make good pets?”) conclude this up-close look at where chickens—and their eggs—come from. Ages 3–7.
December 1, 2016
PreS-Gr 2-Through the excellent use of colorful up-close photos, Arnold captures the excitement of hatching chicks in a real kindergarten class. She documents the 21-day journey from incubation to birth, and growth to maturity; the science behind the process; and the delight and wonder of Mrs. Best's diverse group of students. The classroom in which the project occurs will likely be familiar to many readers: projects and artwork adorn the walls, standard school furniture makes up the room, etc. The energy of Mrs. Best's students is palpable, and readers are invited to share in the spectacle and surprise of the first hatched chick. Asides provide additional information on the different parts of an egg, what chicken mash is, and more. A glossary explains unfamiliar terms, such as candling and wattle. Back matter offers further questions for readers to contemplate. VERDICT A first purchase for use as a read-aloud in science curricula on chickens and the life cycle.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 15, 2016
It's a lucky kindergartner who gets to witness the miracle of life through the incubation of eggs. White kindergarten teacher Mrs. Best raises chickens at home and is teaching her diverse group of students about chickens and eggs. In brilliant close-up photographs, readers see the students' wide-eyed faces as they learn about incubation, the parts of the egg, the egg tooth, and everything else about the 21-day cycle from egg to chick. The easy-to-read narrative follows the days to hatching and the first weeks of life in the classroom. On many pages, the classroom story is supplemented by scientific information set in faux handwritten type in egg-shaped callouts. Teachers who are contemplating bringing eggs (and their eventual chicks) into the classroom will learn much here. Ample backmatter will help to answer any additional chicken questions for the especially interested teacher or student, including some tricky ones. For example, she broaches the truth that only 50 to 80 percent of incubated eggs hatch, and she makes it clear that chicks are not good house pets. Arnold captures the joy and mystery of this familiar unit of study. (glossary, websites, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
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December 1, 2016
Grades K-3 Readers are in for a treat as they join Mrs. Best and her kindergarten class for their egg-hatching project, aka the most adorable class project ever. Mrs. Best has brought a variety of chicken eggsbrown, white, speckledfrom her backyard coop to an incubator in her classroom in order to teach her students about how chicks grow. The informative text is augmented by copious photo illustrations, including a diagram of the different parts of an egg, a demonstration of candling (placing a fertilized egg over a light to see inside it), and eventually the fluffy chicks themselves. The book documents how Mrs. Best's diverse class counts down the 21 days until the eggs hatch, the hatching process, and the first month of the chicks' lives, detailing their care and growth, and nesting quick facts in egg-shaped ovals throughout. Readers will come away with a good understanding of chickens' origins and will likely want to rush off to hatch an egg of their own, but Arnold wisely cautions that chickens do not make good pets.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2017
Teacher Mrs. Best brings eggs into the classroom for an incubation project with her kindergartners. Clear, informative text details the hatching process, and further egg/chick information is provided in captions and sidebars. Some of Arnold's bright, sharp photos of beady-eyed chicks and wide-eyed children span across spreads, enhancing this thorough, well-designed book. Additional questions and answers are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)