Tag: Easter

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Three Board Books for Spring and Easter

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It is no secret that I love board books. Having a new grandbaby to share all these great new board books with? GOLD. Here are a few I’ll be tucking into her Easter basket – and reading at Spring storytimes!

Egg Hunt with Max and Moo, by Susie Lee Jin, (Jan. 2025, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764368851

Ages Birth-3

Max and Moo are having an Easter egg hunt, and you’re invited! Fun lift the flaps and a playful story show the two joining their friends preparing and enjoying the egg hunt. Doubling as a concept book, Egg Hunt helps reinforce colors as readers discover the eggs and the friends they’ll discover on the way. Characters from Max and Moo’s previous adventure, Peek-a-Moo!, show up here and will delight readers who are familiar with them. Bold, colorful illustration with bold, black fonts make for easy reading. Durable flaps will hold up to multiple reads. A fun read for holiday and board book collections!

Visit Susie Lee Jin’s website for fun and free downloadables and more about her books.

 

Oh So Sleepy Head to Toe, Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama, (April 2025, Scholastic), $8.99, ISBN: 9781546139409

Ages Birth-3

This is more of a bedtime story, but there are adorable animals, including a bunny, so Spring it is! Animal friends are all getting ready for bed, and it’s up to readers to soothe them to sleep. Rub Little Sheep’s fuzzy tummy; smooth Little Pup’s blanket, pet Little Bunny’s ears: touch-and-feel pages and the repetitive “Goodnight” on each spread will soothe and relax readers and provide a gentle bedtime routine. If you’re holding a pajama storytime, encourage your attendees to repeat the behaviors on their own stuffed friends. Gama’s illustrations are adorable, with bright colors and cartoony animals, all curled up under their covers. A final directive to readers to “Wiggle your toes. Stretch your arms. Close your eyes” provides more interactivity and leads them into their own slumber (or the close of your storytime). Don’t miss this one.

 

Spring ABC, by Jannie Ho, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536237689

Ages Birth-3

It’s a Spring alphabet! Filled with Spring images, this ABCedary is sure to be a hit. Cheerful, colorful illustrations will capture any reader’s attention, with playful alphabet choices like Apple Blossoms and Daisies; Ho thinks up creative ways to highlight other letters, like G, choosing the word “grow” and showing a worm next to a series of growing saplings; X for Extra Eggs, and Z for Zipper, showing the zipper of what could be a spring jacket. The book is well-constructed, with hardy pages that will hold up to multiple readings. A concept books essential, make sure to put this in your collections.

Spring ABC is the fifth book in Jannie Ho’s ABC series – visit her website to find out more!

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Season’s Readings: Pick a Perfect Egg

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pick a Perfect Egg, by Patricia Toht/Illustrated by Jarvis, (Feb. 2023, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536228472

Ages 3-5

I really enjoy a good holiday story from Toht and Jarvis, who’ve created holiday stories like Pick a Pine Tree and Pick a Pumpkin. Pick a Perfect Easter Egg celebrates a child and mother getting ready for Easter, from their trip to a farm to choose eggs, going home to dye them using natural and store-bought coloring, and the big morning when their town comes together to celebrate the big day. Toht’s comforting rhyme is made for storytime and Jarvis’s digital illustrations have a soft watercolor feel, sprinkled with a bit of Easter magic. A wonderful story for Spring, filled with touches like budding trees, colorful clothing, and bright days, this is a lovely, non-religious selection for spring storytimes.

Crayola has coloring and activity sheets available for download, as does Monday Mandala. Teachers Pay Teachers has some good educational activities available, including Jelly Bean Math from Simply Kinder, a hatching chick activity from Mandy Porta, math coloring worksheets from First Thinkers, a Build a Bunny craft from Especially Smart, and Peeps Clip Art from Krista Wallden.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Can it be true? Nobody Likes the Easter Bunny?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Say it ain’t so! A chick starts off this book with a giant pronouncement: “Nobody likes the Easter Bunny. He’s eggstremely disappointing”. Does this chick have an ulterior motive? Like, maybe they think chicks are better?

Nobody Likes the Easter Bunny, by Karen Kilpatrick/Illustrated by Germán Blanco,
(March 2022, Genius Cat Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781938447266

Ages 3-7

In this fun and educational Easter story, a chick breaks down why the Easter Bunny isn’t as great as a chick: they only come around once a year; they hide eggs so you can’t find them; they get all the attention! But a group of kids is there to debunk Chick’s protestations, showing the Chick – and readers! – why both Chicks AND Easter Bunnies are pretty excellent. Back matter includes factual information on both chickens and bunnies, including this “Easter Egger” fact about chickens that I never knew! Artwork is vibrant, boldly outlined, and playful. All in all, a playful Easter story with some fun facts about chickens and rabbits. Pair these with the “How to Catch” series by Adam Wallace (which includes How to Catch an Easter Bunny!)

Nobody Likes the Easter Bunny is part of the “Nobody Likes the…” series from Karen Kilpatrick.  You can find Nobody Likes Unicorns at the Genius Cat website, and Nobody Likes Mermaids is coming soon. The Genius Cat website has free downloadable resources, including free books, activities, and lesson plans.

Posted in Uncategorized

Fill your basket with Easter Books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Easter Storybook: 40 Bible Stories Showing Who Jesus Is, by Laura Richie/Illustrated by Ian Dale, (Jan. 2020, David C Cook), $18.99, 978-0-8307-7860-7

Ages 4-8

Beginning with Jesus’ time as a boy in the temple and ending with His resurrection and promise, “I am with you always”, The Easter Storybook contains 40 illustrated Bible stories about the life of Jesus. Each story begins with a Bible passage and includes a discussion question for families to explore together. Each story presents a different facet of Jesus – Teacher, Good Shepherd, Savior – and will help children relate their own insights and stories to events in the Bible. The illustrations are colorful and softly realistic with famous Biblical scenes, like Palm Sunday and the Sermon on the Mount. There’s one story for every day of Lent, making this a good choice for families who celebrate together and for kids in parochial or Sunday school.

 

Hoppy Floppy’s Carrot Hunt, by Educational Insights/Illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti, (March 2020, Candlewick Entertainment), $9.99, ISBN: 9781536212310

Ages 0-3

You have to have a fun board book for the Littlest Easter Bunny fans! This lift-the-flap, egg-shaped board book is a slam dunk for little ones. Hoppy Floppy the Rabbit is on the search for colorful carrots to fill her Easter basket. Some animal friends pitch in along the way, but she needs some extra help from your littles! Sturdy flaps on each spread let kids search for colorful carrots. Inspired by the Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel board game from Educational Insights (and with an appearance from Squirrel), this is a book that babies and toddlers will love. Illustrations are colorful and cartoony; perfectly kid-friendly. Great for learning colors, animals, and nature (point out trees, flowers, bushes).

 

Hazel and Twig: The Lost Egg, by Brenna Burns Yu, (March 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536204926

Ages 3-7

In this second Hazel and Twig installment, Korean-American bunny sisters Hazel and Twig are playing in a meadow when they discover a pale blue egg. First, they decide to hatch it themselves, but when it begins raining, they head home to keep it warm; but after considering how worried the egg’s family may be, they call on their Umma and Appa (mother and father) to help them seek out the egg’s family. Adorably narrated and with delicate, lovely pastel ink and watercolor illustrations, this sweet story about sisterhood, exploration, and family is a sweet way to greet Easter egg hunters.