Little Rabbit's Easter Surprise

Little Rabbit enjoys helping his father, the Easter Bunny, paint eggs, but when it comes time to part with his last creation, he would rather give it to his mother as a present instead. By the author of Happy Christmas to All.

PreSchool-K-- Little Rabbit is anxious to help his father, the Easter Bunny, decorate his eggs and then hide them as he goes on his appointed rounds. The word ``help'' is used loosely here because, like all young children, Little Rabbit's eagerness far exceeds his level of assistance. But throughout every well-intended mishap, his parents are there to lend a hand. Little Rabbit is a typical preschooler, full of a clumsy gusto for life, while his model parents are patient, supportive, and loving. The bright, simple cartoons feature lots of rounded edges and plenty of open space. The colors are those of Easter--yellows, greens, blues, and fuchsia; the text is totally in white dialogue balloons. An appealing holiday picture book to be enjoyed all year long. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Little Rabbit asks his father, the Easter Bunny, if he can help decorate and distribute the holiday eggs. While Dad loads the cart, Little Rabbit makes a mess but manages to color one special egg in the process. He saves this particular creation for his mother--which hardly seems "surprise" enough to justify the title or serve as a premise for this pedestrian offering. Kids may have difficulty relating to the prim Little Rabbit, who asks "May I?" at several junctures and at one point addresses his mother as "ma'am." The parents here seem unduly concerned with Little Rabbit's every move, which may account for the absence of spirit that could have infused the story with much-needed style and zest. Flat cartoons in Easter egg colors--frequently formated in comic-book style--depict a static trio (no other characters appear) whose expressions rarely change. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With his earnest efforts to ``help,'' Little Rabbit is a typical toddler, his disastrous mishaps only somewhat exaggerated. When he tries to decorate eggs as his dad (the Easter Bunny) does, he drops his egg and gets paint all over, but at least the egg survives. Patient Dad lets him go along on the important trip to get ready for the children's egg hunt; this time Little Rabbit spills all the eggs, then falls asleep while Dad hides them--and comes home again with his own special egg, which he has kept as a surprise for Mama. A gentle, satisfying story with appealing pictures in Easter egg tones, drawn with a childlike simplicity that matches the text. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.