(via Shutterstock)
I adore kids’ books.
Sure they were once upon just books to read to my nieces and nephews, but they’ve grown past books like these now, and yet, in reading them to my favourite little people, it hit me that here are some fun stories worth reading just for the sheer Easter-y fun of it.
When I’m done, all the books go to a charity called Lifeline for their mega fundraising book sales, but until they are boxed up and gone, I can lose myself in tales of angry bunnies and hot cross buns and lessons learnt at Easters which change things wonderfully for the better.
They are colourful and bright and they give my soul a shot of technicolour happiness and joy, and with war raging across the globe right now, if ever an Easter need some life-changing life lessons, it’s this one.
Banjo the Hot Cross Bun by Rory H. Mather, illustrated by Christopher Neilsen
(courtesy Scholastic)
To really appreciate the true deliciousness of the tale of Banjo the Bun, you need to understand that hot cross buns go on sale in Australia on Boxing Day. Yes, no sooner has Santa shuffled his annual festive coil than Easter is racing up to open our wallets. Some people love it, some hate it, but it’s a reality, and it means that hot cross buns are often sitting cheek-by jowl with leftover Christmas puddings and gingerbread.
That’s precisely where the protagonist of Banjo the Hot Cross Bun finds himself at the start of this mischievously fun tale screaming “I’m here too EARLY! / I’m an Easter delight. / There’s been an error; / this just isn’t right.” The other pastries look askance, and not a little perturbed but they don’t say anything which makes Banjo even more cross and determined to show everyone “who’s BOSS”.
He ruins the bakery and scares the fruits and veges and tries to set free a rotisserie chook before attacking the Christmas display, throwing baubles hither and yon and making it clear he shouldn’t be in the supermarket when it’s still Christmas.
But then some friends turn up and Banjo realises all his anger has been misplaced and that things have to change … but for the sweet better. Think of Banjo the Hot Cross Bun as the reason why hot cross buns hit supermarket shelves on Boxing Day, a delightful origin tale that comes with playfully fun artwork and which will delight kids of all ages.
It makes even convince the naysayers to eat hot cross buns early. Or maybe not … some books, no matter how good, can do the impossible.
(courtesy Tondo Creative Instagram)
Pink Easter by Tanya Hennessy, illustrated by Sophie Kent
(courtesy Albert Street Books)
You wouldn’t think Easter needs a glow up but Pink Easter, by Tanya Hennessy, who gave us the delights of Pink Santa, begs to differ and in the most fabulously fun of ways.
In this tale of heart reborn and remade, the Easter Bunny is a defiant one-bunny show, refusing all requests of help from the likes of Winnie the Easter duck and her friends, saying “Thank you, my friend, / but it has to be me.” and hopping out the door o make Easter happen all on her own.
But with the Easter Bunny gone, Winnie and the gang decide to help whether assistance is wanted or not and they crank up the Eggmaster to get the job done faster and have everything sorted by the time the Easter Bunny comes back.
Lovely intention but lousy execution, with all the suggested colours for the eggs coming out … well, guess which colour? Hint: the title is a dead giveaway.
But it’s not just the eggs that … well, read Pink Easter to find out.
With buoyantly colourful, cute artwork and a story that is playful but meaningful, stressing how wonderful community is and that giving and sharing are the order of the day.
The Easter Bunny lost sight of that but by the end of this gloriously sweet and funny book, it’s lesson learned and Easter changed for the pinker.
(courtesy Albert Street Books)
Never Touch a Grumpy Bunny on an Easter Mission by Stuart Lynch and Alexandra Robinson
(courtesy Make Believe Ideas)
Another grumpy bunny? Well, it makes sense given the pressure to make one day of the year perfect; how Santa and the Easter Bunny aren’t in perpetual therapy, and how knows maybe they are, with all that expectation weighing down on them is anyone’s guess.
Another one bunny-band, Grumpy Bunny makes it clear from his surly demeanour that he doesn’t want your help, doesn’t need your help, and would rather you stay away and “DO NOT TOUCH” the eggs.
But his social antipathy doesn’t stop Mayor Maize from asking Grumpy to help out with the Easter festival, asking him to be “Decorator Extraordinaire” and amazingly he agrees but only on the proviso that he doesn it all himself.
But while the book might be called Never Touch a Grumpy Bunny on an Easter Mission, this fantastically imaginative and playful book, with artwork that dances and jaunts colourfully and expressively across its pages, is all about what happens when helpers like Happy Bunny and Bouncy Bunny come along, Grumpy Bunny realises that maybe he isn’t the only festive game in town.
It’s a sobering lesson but one which sees him accidentally reinvent Easter egg hunts and earn the adulation of an appreciative crowd of bunnies.
He doesn’t stop being grumpy but maybe he’s a little happy? Maybe …