Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! Children’s book creators are calling out SCBWI for their silence concerning the crisis in Gaza. If you’re a member, I encourage you to check out the letter and sign it.
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Today, I review Easter-themed picture books and two excellent new releases.
Bookish Goods
I am a Bunny Richard Scarry Book Cover Print by PrintableBookArt
I can still remember reading I am a Bunny as a child, and I bought my daughter a copy when I was pregnant. This would make such a great Easter gift for any Richard Scarry fans, no matter their age. $13
New Releases
Run, Run, Run! by Taro Gomi
Taro Gomi’s children’s books seem to perfectly reflect a child’s imagination. In his newest board book, a group of children line up outside for a race. When one child crosses the finish line, they decide they’re not ready for the race to end, so the child keeps running, and running, and running, through the city, past neighborhoods, through fields, and more. A pig tries to keep up after the child runs through a farm. This is a super entertaining board book that is sure to be on repeat for many toddler households.
The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Mo Netz
This gently spooky contemporary fantasy middle grade novel stars 11-year-old Jerry Blum, a disabled queer kid with a dragon as an imaginary friend. Jerry and her mother have moved into a hotel where her mother has gotten a job. They’ve had a rough several years since Jerry’s father died and are barely making ends meet. After a bullying incident, Jerry homeschools, too anxious to make any friends. But a friendly neighbor her age befriends her, and when Jerry’s mom goes missing, the two venture into the eerie forest surrounding the hotel to find her. Lots of action ensues. It’s so cool to see such an action-packed novel with a lead as a wheelchair user.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Easter is in a little over two weeks, so I wanted to go ahead and round up some picture books to read for the holiday. I feel like Easter gets a lot of flack, but I kind of love it. Bunnies! Eggs! It’s so silly. Maybe not my favorite holiday, but definitely not my least favorite. Here are four newer Easter books I love.
Elijah’s Easter Suit by Brentom Jackson, illustrated by Emmanuel Boateng
Everyone always dresses their best at Elijah’s church for Easter, and he wants to wear something super snazzy. He visits thrift store after thrift store, but can’t find the perfect outfit. When he meets the Deacon and his wife, they tell him about how when they were children, they weren’t allowed to shop around town. So instead, they made their own Easter clothes with clothes they had at home. That gives Elijah an idea. When he gets home, he scours the house for old pieces of cloth, and with his family’s help, sews the perfect Easter outfit. Back matter includes a history of African Americans dressing up on Easter and Jim Crow Laws.
Pick a Perfect Egg by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Jarvis
Toht and Jarvis’s holiday series is always a hit. Just like the previous picture books—Pick a Pine Tree and Pick a Pumpkin — this is a rhyming, lyrical read-aloud. It follows a family as they buy eggs at Patty’s farm, make their own egg dyes, and decorate eggs. In the morning, they dress in their Easter clothes and go on an egg hunt with the neighborhood. It’s a fun, modern classic.
Easter on the Farm by Phyllis Alsdurf, illustrated by Lisa Hunt
This is another addition to a rhyming holiday series. A young girl is heading to her aunt and uncle’s farm to celebrate Easter. She finds all the baby animals, cuts pussy willows for decoration, helps garden, and more. In the morning, she and the family have cinnamon rolls, and she finds her Easter basket. She attends church and then goes on an Easter egg hunt on the farm. Back matter includes instructions on how to make an Easter tree, natural Easter egg dyes, and eggshell critters. We’ll be doing some of these for Easter this year!
Is This . . . Easter? by Helen Yoon
Helen Yoon writes the funniest picture books. This one is the second book in the Is This . . . series, which features silly seasonal antics and sparse text. This one opens with a bear wearing bunny ears hiding eggs. A group of dogs find an egg and wonder what they’re supposed to do with it. They have differing perspectives. Can the bear bunny help them find a resolution?
We often go on one really long trail along the Natchez Trace and end up turning around at this marvelous uprooted tree. We always take a sit to admire it.
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, Bluesky @AReaderlyMom.bsky.social, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
All the best,
Margaret Kingsbury