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IS THIS…EASTER?

Name: IS THIS…EASTER?
Author: Helen Yoon
ISBN: 9781536226287

by Helen Yoon ; illustrated by Helen Yoon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2024

An instantly rereadable holiday must-have.

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The discovery of an egg ignites a fierce debate.

A hulking bear wearing a dainty pair of bunny ears leaves an egg in the grass. Some dogs and coyotes sniff it out and begin to argue. Should it be decorated for Easter, or should it be devoured? The dogs declare, “IT’S BEAUTIFUL!” while the coyotes shout, “BREAKFAST IS BEAUTIFUL!” The bear returns and takes the egg from the warring factions. Patiently, the bear shows them how to poke a hole in the egg and blow out the insides (which the bear cooks up for a tasty treat). The outer shell then becomes a gorgeous pastel masterpiece. Readers may assume that each group will be eager to possess (or consume) what they’ve been after for the entire book, but then what’s more tantalizing than what someone else has? Yoon’s charming and simple illustrations carry the simple text. These playful, expressive creatures are sure to elicit giggles from little readers. The stylized, pop-eyed, thick-lined illustrations brim with child appeal, but Yoon also folds in a subtle message about compromise; caregivers can help little ones see connections with real-world situations. The layers to this story, combined with delightful art, should earn this tale a prominent place on bookshelves.

An instantly rereadable holiday must-have. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024

ISBN: 9781536226287

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
A PINECONE!
by Helen Yoon ; illustrated by Helen Yoon

- BOOK REVIEW
IS THIS…WINTER?
by Helen Yoon ; illustrated by Helen Yoon

- BOOK REVIEW
HAVE YOU SEEN MY INVISIBLE DINOSAUR?
by Helen Yoon ; illustrated by Helen Yoon

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HALLOWEEN IS COMING!

by Cal Everett ; illustrated by Lenny Wen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2021

High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out.

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From the changing season to decorations and costumes, children anticipate Halloween.

Little readers will enjoy all of the familiar markers of the season included in this book: falling leaves, jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating. Everett’s rhyming couplets bob along safely, offering nothing that will wow but enough to keep the pages turning. It’s Wen’s illustrations that give the most to readers, full of bustling scenes and lovely details. A double-page spread of the children in town in front of the candy store includes jars with individually drawn treats and other festive delicacies. The townwide celebration features instruments, creative costumes, and a diverse crowd of people. There are three children who appear as the focus of the illustrations, though there are many secondary characters. One bespectacled White child is drawn in a manual wheelchair, another has dark brown skin, the third presents Asian. The child in the wheelchair is shown as a full participant. Readers will enjoy spotting spooks like a vampire, goblin, and werewolf, as they sometimes appear in the background and other times blend in with the crowd. The familiar trappings of Halloween paired with the robust illustrations will have little readers wanting to reread even if the content itself is not startlingly new.

High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-7282-0586-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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HAPPY EASTER FROM THE CRAYONS

by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2023

Let these crayons go back into their box.

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The Crayons return to celebrate Easter.

Six crayons (Red, Orange, Yellow, Esteban, who is green and wears a yellow cape, White, and Blue) each take a shape and scribble designs on it. Purple, perplexed and almost angry, keeps asking why no one is creating an egg, but the six friends have a great idea. They take the circle decorated with red shapes, the square adorned with orange squiggles “the color of the sun,” the triangle with yellow designs, also “the color of the sun” (a bit repetitious), a rectangle with green wavy lines, a white star, about which Purple remarks: “DID you even color it?” and a rhombus covered with blue markings and slap the shapes onto a big, light-brown egg. Then the conversation turns to hiding the large object in plain sight. The joke doesn’t really work, the shapes are not clear enough for a concept book, and though colors are delineated, it’s not a very original color book. There’s a bit of clever repartee. When Purple observe that Esteban’s green rectangle isn’t an egg, Esteban responds, “No, but MY GOSH LOOK how magnificent it is!” Still, that won’t save this lackluster book, which barely scratches the surface of Easter, whether secular or religious. The multimedia illustrations, done in the same style as the other series entries, are always fun, but perhaps it’s time to retire these anthropomorphic coloring implements. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Let these crayons go back into their box. (Picture book. 3-5)