This Easter, put down the technology and spend some quality time reading with your kids. Curling up with your little ones reading a good book is some of the most special time you can spend together. Whether you’re reading about values or why the Easter Bunny brings chocolate in a basket to good little girls and boys, here are some of the best classic Easter books for the holiday.
The Easter Egg
If you are looking for a classic Easter book that also has a lesson, The Easter Egg is one that Babies to Bookworms recommends not only for celebrating that special Sunday but also for teaching compassion.
The main character of the colorful pages (written and illustrated by Jan Brett), Hoppi, decides that rather than finish an egg-decorating competition to win the chance to meet the big honcho Easter Bunny, he is going to stand guard by a robin’s egg that has fallen from its nest.
MORE: 5 Easter movies to watch with the whole family
Marshmallow
Marshmallow, an award-winning book by Clare Turlay Newberry was written in 1943, but the themes are still relevant today.
Recommended by Simply Circle, this book follows Oliver, a cherished cat, whose world is turned upside down when white rabbit Marshmallow moves into the house and begins stealing the spotlight. Slowly Oliver and Marshmallow get to know one another and become the best of friends. The adorable illustrations add to the sweetness of this classic Easter book.
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
If you want your little girl to know she can do anything when she grows up, then The Country Bunny with the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward has a great girl power message.
Recommended by Building a Library, this story starts out by laying down the fact that there is more than one Easter Bunny — there are five. This is great if you have to explain why the one at the mall looks different than the one at school or church.
When a search for a new Easter Bunny begins, Cottontail wants to throw her, uh, tail into the ring, but her neighbors tease her because she is a country bunny with lots of children. Even though she is a single mother with a big litter, she works really hard for the job and she wins. This bunny just proved that you are not your circumstances and you can be whatever you want to be. This one will become one of your daughters favorite classic Easter books.
The Story of the Easter Bunny
Who exactly is the Easter Bunny and how did he get the gig? Since Netflix hasn’t yet rolled out a documentary exposing the truth on this tale, The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen steps in and gives everyone the 411.
This incisive report, recommended by Babies to Bookworms, tells the story of a little old couple who works tirelessly to weave baskets and make candies and eggs for the village children to find on Easter morning. When they can no longer distribute them due to their infirmities, their pet rabbit steps in and takes over their route, thus creating the Easter Bunny we know and love today.
The Golden Egg Book
Margaret Wise Brown cornered the market on cute and fuzzy during her heyday in the ‘40s. The Golden Egg Book is a picture book with lush illustrations by Leonard Weisgard, this book was recommended by ThoughtCo for its charming story of a lonely bunny and a newborn duck.
Here Comes the Easter Cat
Ever see someone do a job and think you can do it better? Well, in Here Comes the Easter Cat, that’s how a cat feels about this infamous bunny who gets way too much attention. How hard could it be to deliver candy and baskets to all the children on Easter morning, right?
A narrator interviews the cat, who lobbies for the job and all the glory that comes with it, in this book by Deborah Underwood. Babies to Bookworms recommends this funny book about a cat who comes to realize that the job is harder than it looks and decides to help — because eight paws are better than four.
