What’s Inside the Easter Egg?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Cindy Jin)

Hello, friends! Our book today is What’s Inside the Easter Egg?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Fiona Dulieu, an interactive Easter board book of baby animals.

On each page, little bookworms are presented with a colorful Easter egg and a rhyming riddle – can you guess who’s inside? Is it a puppy, a kitten, a duckling, or a chick? Or, is it everyone’s favorite fluffy Eaater ambassador, the Easter Bunny? The only way to find out is to lift the flap!

Lots of fun. This is a pretty simple book conceptually, and pulls off its themes very well. Each riddle gives clues as to the appearance of the baby animal being teased as well as a clue about the sound they make, so readers learning their animals will be able to play along and make guesses before the flaps – which are all in the shape of large Easter eggs decorated to give further clues about the animal inside – are lifted. The rhyme scheme isn’t particularly intuitive on the initial read-through, but is easy to get used to after the first few pages. Dulieu’s soft-edged and brightly-colored illustrations are wonderfully adorable and capture the spring seasonal theme perfectly. This is a short read for the very smallest bookworms, and JJ – a big fan of lift-the-flaps – really enjoyed this one. Overall, a sweet Easter treat that any little bookworms can enjoy. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

One Busy Bunny (Robie Rogge)

Hello, friends! Our book today is One Busy Bunny, written by Robie Rogge and illustrated by August Ro, a short novelty board book about a very busy little bunny.

Busy Bunny’s got one very important job to do today: to take a basket of eggs and distribute them to all of their friends. Bunny makes sure to give eggs to their friends at the pond, in the garden, and in the woods. And after a long and exhausting day, and with an empty basket in tow, Busy Bunny gets a special surprise all their own!

Short and sweet. The content of the story itself only takes place in five couplets spaced over ten pages, so this is a very quick read. The story is similarly light and airy, mostly just identifying the adorable animals that make up Bunny’s delivery route as they smile happily over their Easter eggs. This combined with the novelty of the bunny rabbit-shaped binding makes it best for very young audiences (though the light cardboard of the pages themselves may have trouble holding up to the rough treatment of baby bookworms). Ro’s soft and lovely illustrations are beautiful to look at (to the point that I wished they were a little larger!), and Rogge’s text is bouncy and fun to read aloud. Overall, this is a fun novelty title that doesn’t exactly reach for the stars, but offers plenty of enjoyment for the youngest of readers and their caregivers. Length was great for the earliest ages, and JJ really enjoyed the unique bunny rabbit binding. Overall, Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Peter Easter Frog (Erin Dealey)

Hello, friends! Our book today is Peter Easter Frog, written by Erin Dealey and illustrated by G. Brian Karas, a delightfully odd twist on the traditional Easter mascot.

Beginning with a variation of the classic “Peter Cottontail” rhyme, readers are introduced to Peter Easter Frog, a dapper little amphibian on a mission of spreading Easter cheer. As he introduces himself and distributes eggs to various animal friends – a turtle, a cow, a sheepdog, and a chipmunk – they too are swept up in Peter’s zest for spring celebration, and decide to help. That is, until, they come face to face with the real Easter Bunny, who has some thoughts on imitators…

A sweet and hilarious holiday tale. Adorable Peter Easter Frog’s enthusiasm for Easter fun is as contagious for the reader as it seems to be for his pals, and Dealey’s clever dialogue and creative revisions of “Peter Cottontail” make for a fun read-aloud experience. The shift between dialogue and refrain can occasionally be difficult to spot on first reading, and knowing the melody of the original song is also very helpful, but neither are critical issues. Karas’s scribbly mixed-media illustrations are colorful and endearing, and include a few surprise visual choices that are simply inspired comedically (especially during the meeting with the Easter Bunny). The resolution is both pleasingly logical and heartwarming, the length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ and I both had a blast. If you’re looking for an entertaining and unique nondenominational Easter book, this may be the one for you. We recommend it, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Egg: A Chasing, Racing Egg Hunt (Jonathan Litton)

Hello, friends! Our book today is Egg: A Chasing, Racing Egg Hunt, written by Jonathan Litton and illustrated by Fhiona Galloway, a sweet Easter board book for little bookworms.

Using the colorful eggs themselves to frame a series of cutouts, the simple rhyming story follows a band of barnyard friends as they hunt for eggs around the farm. Once they’ve found every last one, they pile them together to celebrate… until a cracking sounds reveals a surprise inside!

Easy Easter fun. With large print text, gentle rhymes and a classic rhythm, as well as adorable, brightly colorful animals and environments, this is a great way for little ones to celebrate spring egg hunts. The cutouts add a nice feature visually, as well as providing an easy grip for little hands to turn pages. The length is about what you’d expect from a toddler board book, and JJ loved it! A great little Easter story for the littlest readers, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

My Easter Basket: A Colorful Egg Hunt (Roger Priddy)

Hello, friends! Our book today is My Easter Basket: A Colorful Egg Hunt by Roger Priddy, a sweet interactive board book with lots of color and counting fun.

The egg hunt has begun on the farm! Can you help all the adorable animals find their eggs in time for the big picnic? Each spread features a barnyard scene with a group of animals finding five of a specific color egg (with the reader’s help, of course).

This is your fairly basic holiday board book fare, but with enough visual interest and interactive touches that make it stand out. The book itself is die-cut in the shape of a basketful of eggs, complete with handle for easy carrying. The foil details are a nice touch to help little bookworms spot the seek-and-find eggs in the scenes, which are hidden just well enough (but not TOO well) for a fun searching experience. The book itself is sturdy, though after a little “toddler testing”, I did notice the handle part starting to crease a bit. But overall, this is a fun board book to share with the youngest bookworms, perhaps as an Easter gift. JJ loved it, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)