Book Bites: Easter Basket Goodies
Get out your Easter bonnets and fluff up your cotton tails; it’s time to hit the Easter Egg trail again. While Easter, like Christmas, holds different significances for different people, one thing remains true. It is a time for gathering together around loved ones, celebrating new life and continued hopes for joy and peace. Sharing the pleasure of reading together is an excellent extension of this notion, one I whole heartedly encourage you to do this Easter (with appropriate sanitation procedures in place of course!). This clutch of Easter inspired board and picture books are guaranteed to make snuggle times as sweet as any chocolate egg. Enjoy and Happy Easter!
Little Bilby’s Aussie Easter Egg Hunt
I admit I love a bit of glittery foil bling at Easter time. Little Bilby’s Aussie Easter Egg Hunt features sufficient sparkle and bling to make it a tactile and visual feast. Mes’ eggcellent Australian fauna infused picture book inspires interactive story time sessions encouraging youngsters to look, listen and guess whose eggs are whose. Clues are given in Pratt’s cuter than cute illustrations which hide a multitude of Australian flora species for the sharp-eyed reader. Kiddies learn which animal or bird belongs to each nest-full of eggs as our egg-hunting Bilbies search through bush and scrub and oceanfront. Will they eventually find what they are looking for? …Aussie Easter Egg Hunt is a fun bright Easter hide and seek tale.
Title: Little Bilby’s Aussie Easter Egg Hunt
Author: Yvonne Mes
Illustrator: Jody Pratt
Publisher: Lothian Children’s Books, $14.99 (Board Book)
Publication Date: February 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780734419910 (Board Book)
For ages: 3 – 5
Type: Board Book Also available as Picture Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books
My Magical Easter Bunny
This bunny-filled push, pull and slide board book is the best! Foil silvery bits, explosive bright colour palette and every mythical must have critter from unicorns and dragons, narwhals and llamas to yetis and mermaids all fit snuggly into this more than magical romp through the meadows after the magic bunny and his bountiful basket of eggs. Kiddlets will have hours of fun employing their fine motor skills as they slide, turn, pull, push and discover treasures on every page. I certainly did! The accompanying rhyming text makes this an enjoyable read aloud experience, as well. Highly recommended for bubs and pre-schoolers.
Title: My Magical Easter Bunny
Author: Campbell Books
Illustrator: Yujin Shin
Publisher: Campbell Books, Macmillan, $7.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781529017007
For ages: 0 – 3
Type: Board Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books
Peppa Pig: Peppa The Easter Bunny
Peppa Pig fans will adore this playful board book featuring Peppa and George as they involve their troop of friends on the most eggcellent egg hunt ever. The storyline provides plenty of fun incentives to plan and actualise a real egg hunt. Kids will be decorating eggs and stashing them in curious places in no time. Cheeky fun with a surprise ending equals high entertainment. Well done Peppa.
Title: Peppa Pig: Peppa The Easter Bunny
Author: Neville Astley and Mark Baker series creators
Publisher: Ladybird Books, Penguin Random House, $9.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780241411827
For ages: 2 – 5
Type: Board Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books
I’m Ready for Easter
Another beautifully illustrated title from the I’m Ready series of board books focusing on more Australian themed Easter traditions showcased in an autumn setting. Activities including shopping for hot cross buns, making Easter baskets and bonnets and sharing a bounty of Easter treats on Easter Sunday represent the importance of family and friendships. The platypus characters are more than endearing, as well!
Title: I’m Ready for Easter
Author: Penguin
Illustrator: Jedda Robaard
Publisher: Penguin Books, $12.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760891596
For ages: 2 – 5
Type: Board Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books
Peter Rabbit 2 Movie Novelisation
I know, strictly speaking this little collection are film spin offs but if you love Beatrix Potter’s tales (as I do) and have indulged in the first hysterically funny Peter Rabbit movie featuring orphaned Peter, his sassy sisters and cousin Benjamin, then you’re going to hop over backwards for this follow-on adventure. In the new movie and accompanying chapter book, Peter is headed to the big city where trouble lurks in the shape of a not-so-nice bunny by the name of Barnabas. Will Peter’s mischievous avant-garde attitude crumble into true corruptness thanks to Barnabas or will he find a way to return to the McGregor’s and his beloved garden home? In addition to the beautifully executed chapter book, a Penguin Young Readers edition (Level 2 for progressing readers), Bunny Trouble, is also available, featuring the brilliant film imagery of Peter and co. Excellent fun for Easter.
Title: Peter Rabbit 2: Novelisation
Author: Mandy Archer
Illustrator: Images from Columbia Pictures
Publisher: Puffin, $12.99
Publication Date: February 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780241415290 (novelisation chapter book)
For ages: 6 – 10
Type: Junior Novel film novelisation
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books, QBD
Bluey: Bob Bilby
This is less of an Eastery book and more of a cautionary tale featuring everyone’s latest fav, Bluey. This tale however is told through Bob Bilby (hence the tenuous Easter connection). Bob is the kindy class mascot and this weekend he is going home with Bingo Heeler. At Bingo’s house amid a flurry of sausage roll eating, Bob is introduced to all of Bingo’s friends via her picture scrapbook. This leads to fun games (and more sausage roll eating) but almost imperceptibly, the family’s addiction to devices takes over. Technology substitutes real life activity so much so that poor Bob is relegated as a mere passive observer. Thankfully Bluey’s good sense kicks in; the tablets and phones are delegated to a basket and the fun times roll once again until it’s time for Bob to return to Kindy to play another day. This contemporary tale reflects the benefits and downfalls of a modern device suffused childhood gently reminding parents where to draw the lines and demonstrating to youngsters how easy it is to have fun without electronic intrusions. Great for kindy to primary aged kids.
Couple this board book with Bluey’s Easter Fun activity book in your little one’s Easter basket and then sit back and enjoy your hot cross buns. Packed with colouring sheets, arty activities, games and even recipes, Easter Fun is guaranteed…well…fun!
Title: Bluey Bob Bilby & Bluey Easter Fun
Author: Ludo Studio character
Publisher: Puffin Books, Penguin, $14.99 (Bob Bilby) $9.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Board Book & Paperback
ISBN: 9781760896638 (Bob Bilby) 9781760896898 (Easter Fun)
For ages: 3+
Type: Board Book & Non Fiction Activity Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Boomerang Books
Bunnies On The Bus
Like something out of a Sandra Bullock, Speed movie, Bunnies on the Bus is a
Title: Bunnies On The Bus
Author: Philip Ardagh
Illustrator: Ben Mantel
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $16.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781406394016
For ages: 3 – 6
Type: Picture Book
Buy the Book: Walker Books, Booktopia
Australians All Love Easter Eggs
What I like most about this latest Colin Buchanan instalment is the use of his trademark gently rhyming text accompanying Sarah Hardy’s seriously beautiful Australian landscapes. Outback settings are populated by a range of gorgeous iconic Aussie animals and birds each authentically faithful to their environment but also working in perfect unison with none other than the Easter Bunny. Not that I’m against bilbies but in this instance there seems nothing out of place about a proper fluffy, long-eared bunny whose mission is to get his bundle of brightly hued eggs to the Easter eggless inhabitants of Bunyip Creek. As with many Aussie outback tales, the feat is hard slog but with the help of his native crew, Bugs eventually pulls through. This is the perfect Easter Sunday morning read-in-bed book about mateship, tenacity and sharing. Nibbling on a before-breakfast chocky Easter egg while you do this is up to you but I think it should be mandatory because …Australians All Love Easter Eggs!
Title: Australians All Love Easter Eggs
Author: Colin Buchanan
Illustrator: Sarah Hardy
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, $17.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781743834794
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, Book Depository
What The Fluffy Bunny Said to the Lazy Llama
Fluff is back and as demanding as ever. But there is method behind his bossiness. The sports carnival is on and Fluffy Bunny is determined to get the most out of his friends whom he has graciously entered into a slew of sporty events. Gymnastics is his pick for Lazy Llama but it doesn’t end there. Skate boarding, weightlifting, high jumping, and ice skating all rate a mention and must be practised to make perfect on the day. Fortunately his friends rally for the carnival, all except one…A vivaciously illustrated tale of persistence and practise perfect for sporty types and those not so enthusiastic about rigorous activities but enjoy high humour with repeating phraseology that underpins the premise.
Title: What the Fluffy Bunny Said to the Lazy Llama
Author: P Crumble
Illustrator: Chris Saunders
Publisher: Koala Books, Scholastic, $17.99
Publication Date: March 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978174832486
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
Buy the Book: Booktopia, QBD
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