Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Laura Vaccaro Seeger has an energetic and unique style of writing and illustrating her children’s picture books. Seeger, using simplistic text and illustrations, creates concept books for primary age children that clearly explain ideas such as feeling and colors, with examples such as:

In WALTER WAS WORRIED, Seeger clearly depicts children feeling such emotions as puzzlement, shock and delight as the weather changes outside from fog to lightning to snow. The reader will be amazed to discover that the letters spelling each featured emotion word are incorporated into the child’s facial features and expressions in the brightly colored, yet simplistic illustrations. This book will be one that children will enjoy exploring on their own after the read aloud is complete.

In LEMONS ARE NOT RED, Seeger examines the concept of identifying a correct item color with text and illustrations such as, “Carrots are not purple…Carrots are orange…Eggplants are purple.” The reader first sees the purple carrot and this provides and excellent opportunity to brainstorm items that could be purple and make predictions as to the color of a carrot. When the page is turned, the carrot cut-out “magically” flips to the correct color while providing and example of a purple item. This same test and illustration pattern repeats throughout the book and captivate the students.

In FIRST THE EGG, Seeger illustrates how different items progress, such as a seed to a flower and a tadpole to a frog. Seeger uses a simplistic cut-out illustration technique that magically transforms the item from such things as a caterpillar to a cocoon to a butterfly. The bright colors will keep the student’s focus as they make predictions as to what will come from the named item. With a unique twist, the book starts with the egg coming first to produce a chicken and ends with the chicken coming first to produce the egg. This would be a good way to introduce life cycles.

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. 2004. LEMONS ARE NOT RED. Connecticut: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 1596430087
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. 2005. WALTER WAS WORRIED. Connecticut: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 1596430680
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. 2007. FIRST THE EGG. Connecticut: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 9781596432727