Easter is March 31, and what better way to celebrate the season than with a book. Though some are not holiday specific, the following books are perfect for the season.
WHERE’S THE BUNNY? by Ingela P Arrhenius, Candlewick Press, Jan. 2, 2024, Board Book, $9.99 (ages 0-2)
Five illustrated spreads show a series of baby animals, including a puppy, a mouse, a duckling, and a bunny, hiding beneath bright felt flaps. With a mirror on the final page, this is the perfect book to share with very little ones. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
This interactive board book is perfect for little hands, especially because the felt flaps not only feel soft, but they’re easy to manipulate. The mirror at the end is a nice touch. This one will get a lot of use.
MY LITTLE LAMB, by Hannah Eliot and Jennifer A. Bell, Little Simon, Jan. 16, 2024, Board Book, $7.99 (ages 0-2)
This sweet springtime board book with a padded cover is perfect to share with your gentle little lamb.
My little lamb,
come snuggle with me.
Then off on your own,
with the birds and bees.
Lambs have adventures during the day then come home safe and sound for nighttime snuggles. —Synopsis provided by Little Simon
Robust construction makes this perfect for little hands. Sweet pastel illustrations evoke the feeling of spring.
EASTER BUNNY, WHERE ARE YOU?: A Lift-the-Flap Book! by Jeffrey Burton and Juliana Motzko, Little Simon, Jan. 16, 2024, Board Book, $8.99 (ages 0-3)
Easter Bunny, where are you?
Do you want to play?
I know you’re hiding somewhere.
It’s almost Easter day.
It’s almost Easter, but the Easter Bunny is nowhere to be found! Maybe the Easter Bunny is hiding behind that bush or that gate or maybe that tree. Look under the sturdy flaps to see whose fluffy tail or furry foot that really is—and find an Easter surprise on the last page! —Synopsis provided by Little Simon
This interactive book features chunky flaps that are easy for little hands to manipulate. Cute illustrations and fun calls to action are perfect for babies and toddlers.
OOPS! RABBIT (Jo Ham’s Rabbit), by Jo Ham, Candlewick Studio, March 5, 2024, Hardcover, $9.99 (ages 0-3)
Rabbit on. Oops! Rabbit off . . . With some endearing misadventures, Jo Ham’s international sensation hops into the pages of a picture-book series.
Big waves and sandcastles, paint cans and tippy chairs—accidents happen! And with cheeky, curious, and sweet-toothed Rabbit, they’re almost inevitable.
The creation of Jo Ham, whose art celebrates the magic of everyday life, Rabbit has been spotted everywhere from the Centre Pompidou in Paris to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and on mugs and nursery decorations in homes around the world. Now the iconic black-silhouetted bunny appears in a series of children’s books. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
This book celebrates the power of simplicity. Sparse words and a black-silhouetted bunny are all that are needed to make this charming book work.
THE GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT: A Search and Find Adventure (Brown Bear Wood), by Rachel Piercey and Freya Hartas, Harry N. Abrams, Jan. 9, 2024, Board Book, $9.99 (ages 0-5)
Follow Bear and his friends on their Great Easter Egg Hunt adventure in the forest, which has 100 eggs to find and count. Can you help them?
Through the woodland, someone kind
has hidden one hundred eggs to find . . .
So would you like to join the fun
and help us spot them, one by one? —Synopsis provided by Harry N. Abrams
The Great Easter Egg Hunt is part counting book, part scavenger hunt, part Easter celebration. With rhythmic text and incredibly detailed pictures, this is a book the whole family will enjoy.
WHO LAID THESE EGGS? (An Animal Traces Book), by Laura Gehl and Loris Lora, Harry N. Abrams, Jan. 9, 2024, Board Book, $9.99 (ages 2 and up)
In this nonfiction board book, young readers will see eggs in different environments on each spread. They can lift the flaps to discover all of the different animal nests and eggs—and learn a simple fact about each species. Featured creatures include robins, alligators, ostriches, salmon, butterflies, seagulls, snakes, and chickens, plus the kids who gather the eggs from the coop! —Synopsis provided by Harry N. Abrams
What better way to look forward to spring than a sweet board book about new life. The question-and-answer format of Who Laid These Eggs? is perfect for little readers. It adds a fun interactive element beyond the lifting flaps. Bright illustrations of cute animals will draw little ones in. The pages are made of thick stock, as are the flaps, standing up to lots of use. Who Laid These Eggs would make a good Valentine’s Day, Easter, or just because gift.
IS THIS . . . EASTER? (Helen Yoon’s Is This . . .?) by Helen Yoon, Candlewick, Jan. 2, 2024, Hardcover, $10.99 (ages 3-7)
Look, an egg! An egg left by a bunny! What does that mean? It means it’s time to celebrate . . . Easter! Or is it time to celebrate breakfast?
In Helen Yoon’s scenario, a difference of opinion arises between excitable pups, and the egg bearer (and ultimate squabble settler) is, naturally, an enormous,
Zen-like bear wearing tiny bunny ears. As the bear demonstrates, whether it’s decorating eggs or eating them, Easter is kind of . . . delicious! —Candlewick
This humorous look at Easter is a bit silly, but kids will love the antics, and it might give them a few ideas about what to do with all those eggs when the time comes around.
BUNNY SHOULD BE SLEEPING, by Amy Hest and Renata Liwska, Neal Porter Books, March 5, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Bunny should be sleeping, but instead, he is waiting for Dad to come check on him. Dad always checks on him, but tonight, Dad is late.
Soon Dad will come. He will come in the night
to check on his little Bunny. Come on, Dad!
Check on me, check on me, check on me!
Bunny can’t wait anymore— he needs his dad! Slipping out of bed, Bunny packs a wagon of everything Dad might need: some water, a blanket, a snack, and their favorite book to share. Down the hall and through the dark, Bunny finds Dad fast asleep, oblivious to all the supplies Bunny offers him.
At last, Bunny resorts to a tap on the nose to wake Dad up. Dad checks on Bunny, and Bunny checks on Dad, who is happy to see him, if still groggy. They read their special book, and all is right with the world again. —Synopsis provided by Neal Porter Books
This gentle bedtime story serves as a reminder to little ones that they are safe and loved, even when they’re alone in their rooms at night. Warm text and adorable illustrations make this a lovely read.
Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
