First the Egg

First the Egg is a New York Times bestselling children's picture book written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, published by Roaring Book Press in 2007. It was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2008 and also appeared on the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books list and the American Library Association Notable Children's Books list.

The book comprises a series of die-cut pages that convey various forms of transformation. Seeger uses word play and alters the composition of the illustrations between cut-outs to create unexpected relationships among basic concepts such as time, opposites, and colors. In 2009, the company Weston Woods Studios, Inc. made a version of the book, narrated by Elle Fanning, with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young.

Reception
Publishers Weekly described First the Egg as "another nimble page-turner...", and Inis magazine called it "whimsical and bold..."

Awards and honors

 * New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (2007)
 * Caldecott Honor Book (2008)
 * American Library Association Notable Children's Books (2008)