1 comments about Before and After Easter: Activities and Ideas for Lent to Pentecost.

1. I have used this excellent book in teaching preschool teachers about the symbolism and the activities for the lenten season.

   The activities are wonderful expressions of this holy season. The layout of the book includes a background on the activity as well as the activity and ways in which to use within the classroom or the family. Very spiritual and uplifting resource guide for any teacher.

   In my particular teaching setting, I have encouraged all teachers to purchase this book.

No comments about Bob's Spring Parade (Bob the Builder).

3 comments about Michael Hague's Family Easter Treasury.

1. The stunning illustrations will draw you and your children in to this book, where you'll find wonderful stories -- some of which have overtly spiritual themes, some which explain Easter traditions, and others which are just fun. The shorter poems can be read to younger children. I would have given this book 5 stars except that it quotes from the King James Version of the Bible - please, authors, give us more kids books that use age-appropriate versions of the Bible.



2. I was hoping from its description that this book would offer a sort of Unitarian Universalist explanation of Easter and its symbols - one my young children would be able to understand and appreciate, without being scared. Unfortunately we started with the Oscar Wilde tale of the scary giant who eventually meets a boy with big holes in his wrists and immediately dies. Uh...what? Not good bedtime material. We tried some others that were more factual, but unfortunately they either completely blew the cover off the Easter bunny or read like dry essays. The illustrations are pretty, but I'm sending this one back.



3. ...This one caught my eye for several reasons. Michael Hague is a British illustrator who usually illustrates fairy tales and classics like Peter Pan. He's not my "all-time favorite" in terms of style, but he does a good, quality job.

   What really got my attention was the table of contents. The book is divided into four sections, each one starting with one of the four resurrection accounts (note: the "sacred art" is not that great on some of the pictures - a little scary!). Then there are stories, hymns and poems grouped according to four themes: "A Time of Faith," "...Rebirth", "...Celebration," and "...Love."Stories include "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, "The Maid of Emmaus," "The Boy Who Discovered Spring," "Why The Easter Bunny Lays Eggs," "Bramble and Buckwheat' by Ethel Pochocki (note: who also wrote "Once Upon A Time Saints," a book we had growing up), "The White Blackbird" by Padraic Colum (great author), and "The Rat-Catcher's Daughter." Lots of poems by William Blake, Rossetti, Hopkins, and Aileen Fisher. Well, I bought the book this Christmas...I remembered to bring it out this Easter. It's about the size of a kid's picture book, but thicker (133 pp), and the cover is beautiful! So are the title pages and contents. We started reading it on Easter afternoon (I always cry at "The Selfish Giant's" ending...note: my kids (age 7-down) really liked the "Selfish Giant!") I really liked the hymns and poems. And most of the illustrations were really good (like I said, the resurrection ones weren't that great). The kids have been looking through it over and over. Even though they can't read the stories, they love the pictures. Oh, there's also a section on Easter customs from around the world that I look forward to reading.

   So we'll be looking forward to bringing out this book in our home as an Easter tradition, and I recommend it for other families who are in the market for the same kind of book.

1 comments about Ducky's Seasons: Animal Shaped Board Book (Shape Board Books).

1. This book, as well as Bunny's Number's, written by the same author, are positively the cutest board books out there! The whole family enjoys reading about these cute, fuzzy characters.

2 comments about Witzy's Backyard Easter Hunt (Little Suzy's Zoo).

1. Bright, colorful, and happy, which are characteristics of Suzy's work, this concept book teaches children to count as they sharpen their observation skills and learn more about Easter. Witzy's Backyard Easter Hunt provides great fun for younger children as a read-along and helps to introduce children to numbers in a safe and fun environment.



2. Lots of beautiful, colourful pages giving your child a chance to find the hidden objects and count too. The text is simple (It wouldn't be Easter without a special bonnet to wear. Can you help all 4 friends find their dressy hats?), the tabs on the book have a picture so you know what to look for on each page, and overall just a lot of fun!

2 comments about Bob's Egg Hunt (Bob the Builder).

1. This is a precious book for youngsters to enjoy even as early as two years old with older brother or sister or grandmother.
   My two grandsons age 1-1/2 and 3-1/2 both read it over and over since I couldn't wait to share this Easter fun with them.

   Bob the Builder has the positive effect on children with his "yes, we can do it/fix it/find it" positive attitude.
   They love his colorful friends and he keeps his lessons simple but obvious.

   I highly recommend it to anyone....but certainly to anyone who likes to share quiet time and encourage cuddling.




2. We got this book for my son when he was 20 months. He tends to be a little sensitive and actually was scared of one of the pages where Roley and Scoop looked a little menacing (just the angle of the picture). He would run away crying if we tried to turn to that page. But, after a few weeks, he would let us read it to him while he stood on the other side of the room. Now it is one of his favorite books. He loves to tell us what each of the trucks is going to find before he lifts the flaps and even likes the "scarey" page now.

No comments about The M&M's Brand Easter Egg Hunt.

No comments about Baby Chick: An Easter Story.

No comments about Crafts For Easter.

1 comments about Maisy's Easter Paint Book (Maisy).

1. My 4-year-old son LOVES the Maisy sticker books, and he loves to paint with water colors. So I thought this would be lot of fun for him. And it was. But I was a little disappointed because the pages are glossy, making it hard for the paint to stick. It didn't seem to discourage him much, though. So depending how picky your child is (or you are!) you might do fine with this book. Just so you know what you're getting.