It's time to start getting an idea about what I want to put in the kids' Easter baskets. I like to put some candy, of course, but I have found in years past that with every holiday that comes our way, I buy them candy, friends buy them candy, their classes have parties where they get candy, and all of a sudden, they start expecting peeps for dinner. So along with a few marshmallow chicks and a cute little chocolate bunny, I like to put a book or two into their baskets. There are so many fantastic books that work well for Easter and/or Spring.
The first up is by Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny). The Golden Egg is about a bunny who finds an egg. What is inside the egg? Bunny really wants to know! When a fuzzy yellow duckling hatches from inside the egg, Bunny has a new friend. You know how I feel about vintage picture book illustrations! I just love the nostalgic charm they bring and these are bright and so Eastery. This is most definitely a toddler and preschooler level read. The story would probably be too simplistic for any kid over the age of 5. recommended age: 1-5
The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes is the story of how one bunny really wants to become the Easter bunny even when the odds are stacked against her. She is from the plain and simple country not the big and fancy city. She has a lot of babies to care for, and with all of the housework and cooking, she thinks that she will never achieve her dreams. But hold on, this is a story of female empowerment!! Country Bunny teaches her kids to cook, clean, and pitch in with the housework. She works hard and finally gets to be the Easter bunny of her dreams.
I will confess that I bought this book for its adorable cover. I don't recommend doing that, and I don't normally do it myself. But this cover with the pastel colors and bunnies galore got me, and this edition comes with a sweet necklace that ties in with the story. I still stand by my recommendation of this story because I do like it. My one caveat with it is that from the outside, it looks like a book for my three year old, but when we opened it up to read it, I realized that the story is way too long and wordy for a young child. I mean this story is loooooong. The length makes it more appropriate for my older child who would probably enjoy the story but would never pick it up because the cover looks like a "baby" book. Still, I really liked the story's themes of helping out and working hard to achieve your dreams.
This edition of I am a Bunny is a sweet and simple board book that explores the different seasons. Bunny shows the reader that with each season, he gets to do new things. In spring, he smells pretty flowers. In summer, he watches the birds fly and the frogs jump. In winter, he plays in the snow and curls up in his burrow. This would be a great addition to a baby's first Easter basket, although, this isn't specifically an Easter book. This is a great book any time.
