THE EASTER BEAR

Keyes considers a lesser-known ursine Easter entity in this picture book.

Finn is a bear, but he doesn’t share most of the bearlike characteristics of his classmates, such as eating honey or catching fish. Instead, he prefers gentler pursuits, like painting and eating chocolate. When Finn shares that he wants to be the Easter Bunny when he grows up, he’s disheartened when his classmates (and then then his father) laugh at him. His mother is immediately supportive, telling Finn that, if he comes in first place during the Easter Bunny test, he’ll achieve his dream. Finn starts practicing important Easter Bunny skills, like hiding eggs, weaving baskets, and hopping delicately through the forest, but he’s not very good at them. Then, he discovers painting eggs; while he’s fantastic at decorating, he’s nervous about the springtime test and wakes up repeatedly during winter hibernation to practice his skill (“With a few brushstrokes, he turned plain, boring eggs into something magical”). When Finn goes to test with the others (all rabbits), he feels out of place and too gigantic, but he tries his best. Maris’ color illustrations are adorable—the characters are wonderfully expressive throughout the book, and she’s taken special care with Finn’s eyes, which are humorously framed by his glasses.

A whimsical tale about following dreams and working hard to achieve them.