I promise that will be the only egg pun I will use. Just the one. Eggsactly one. Oops.
While my debut novel, Ava, is primarily about the clash of reproductive rights with conservative politics set in the South, it is obviously also about eggs and my bias towards them as an amazing evolutionary triumph. Even the title of my book is an intentional nod toward my love of eggs as Ava means both “bird” and “life”. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight five books that I love that are very egg-centric (and I will maintain this is more of a portmanteau than a pun).
I love this book because it appeals to the evolutionary biology fan in me, as is evident in my book.
Howard traces the history of eggs from ancient single-celled organisms to dinosaurs to the emergence of mammals. He explores how eggs adapted to countless environments and how these adaptations shaped biodiversity.
It’s a deeply engaging work of nonfiction from an enthusiastic author who shows that understanding the egg is fundamental to understanding life itself.
Every animal on the planet owes its existence to one crucial piece of evolutionary engineering: the egg.
It's time to tell a new story of life on Earth.
'Jules Howard's egg's-eye view of evolution is dripping with fascinating insights' ALICE ROBERTS
'So much passion and poetic prose' BBC Radio 4, Inside Science
If you think of an egg, what do you see in your mind's eye? A chicken egg, hard-boiled? A slimy mass of frogspawn? Perhaps you see a human egg cell, prepared on a microscope slide in a laboratory? Or the majestic marble-blue eggs of the blackbird?
This is a wonderful, richly layered journey through the biological, cultural, and historical importance of the egg.
Stark examines the biology of ova, the politics and economics of egg farming, and the egg’s role in rituals and stories across cultures. She also reflects on her own experiences with womanhood, health, and the pressures of reproduction. Her writing often juxtaposes the fragility and resilience of eggs with similar tensions in human life.
In my book, the egg becomes a powerful statement of autonomy and the radical possibilities of reproductive freedom, making this book a natural companion.
Lizzie Stark takes readers on a witty, revealing and delightful journey through the natural and cultural history of the egg, exploring its deep symbolism, innumerable uses and metabolic importance in twelve dazzling specimens. From Mali to Finland, Stark looks at cultures that find the world's origins in an egg. Decorated by Ukrainians, an oracle for Greeks, the impetus behind gang wars and flown into space, the egg-whether of chickens, murres or ostriches-has taken on mythic proportions, all the while serving as a humble ingredient in fancy dishes. Stark even writes Jacques Pepin's biography through the lens of the egg dishes…
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…
The husband of the main character in my book builds a coop and buys Silkie chickens to help soothe his wife as they grieve the loss of their infant daughter.
This book explores the joys of keeping backyard hens and Danovich’s own obsession with them as she discovers their quirky personalities and social bonds.
It’s heartfelt, entertaining, and also makes a compelling ethical case for rethinking how we treat our fine-feathered friends.
An immersive blend of chicken-keeping memoir and culture reporting by a journalist who accidentally became obsessed with her flock.
Since first domesticating the chicken thousands of years ago, humans have become exceptionally adept at raising them for food. Yet most people rarely interact with chickens or know much about them. In Under the Henfluence, culture reporter Tove Danovich explores the lives of these quirky, mysterious birds who stole her heart the moment her first box of chicks arrived at the post office.
From a hatchery in Iowa to a chicken show in Ohio to a rooster rescue in Minnesota, Danovich…
As a pediatrician, former research scientist, and mother, I adore this book for elementary-age children.
The illustrations are fantastic, and the text explores the remarkable diversity and purpose of eggs in nature—how eggs evolved to protect and nourish developing life. The authors also introduce children to the basics of embryonic development, making it a wonderful way to spark curiosity about the natural world.
Its themes of protection and growth resonate with the scientific foundations of my book.
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author picked
Egg
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
4,
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7.
What is this book about?
"Appealing, accessible, and accurate, this is another admirable creation." -Kirkus
Crack the code of the incredible egg in this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book by Caledcott Honor-winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.
Hatching a plan for survival isn't always easy in the wild. And how animals lay, protect, and even use each other's eggs as a food source help reveal the life cycle of the natural world.
Eggs come in all shapes and sizes. The ostrich's is the largest, but some are so small, you need a microscope to spot them. Animals hide them and disguise them in smart…
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…
I loved this book as a kid, and I make a reference to this classic in a chapter of my book.
Whenever I want to quit a particularly frustrating endeavor, I still hear Horton’s voice in my head: “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.” Those words, spoken by a cartoon elephant, have helped me persevere and taught me the importance of loyalty and keeping my word.
It’s a message as meaningful for adults as it is for children.
Horton the elephant babysits an egg in this classic tale of kindness from Dr. Seuss.
Everyone laughs when Horton the Elephant offers to sit on Mayzie bird's egg while she goes on holiday. Horton's kindness and faithfulness are sorely tested when he, and the egg, are kidnapped and sold to a circus - but his reward for being faithful is more wonderful than he could ever have dreamed!
With his unique combination of hilarious stories, zany pictures and riotous rhymes, Dr. Seuss has been delighting young children and helping them learn to read for over fifty years. Creator of the…
Ava is a thought-provoking story set in the South about a woman whose DNA is altered to give her the ability to lay eggs—a radical experiment aimed at reclaiming women’s autonomy in a world where reproductive rights have been stripped away.
Blending science and social commentary, the novel explores motherhood, bodily autonomy, and resilience. As Ava navigates her strange new reality, the story raises bold questions about freedom, choice, and the lengths we go to protect them.
