A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds est. 2007
How to build an Easter book collection: top 10 Easter books for kids
I've been building an Easter book collection for Harry, and along with a few Easter-themed books, I've thrown in a few books about seasons (it's Autumn in Australia right now, but when he's older we'll talk about the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere), as well as some books about bunnies and chicks (why not?).
I'm actually rather frustrated by the lack of good Easter-themed books around - you know, books with fabulous illustrations as well as a good narrative. So I've included a few vintage books into the mix, as well as ones that aren't strictly 'Easter'. Most of the books are from my UK Amazon book shop and my US Amazon book shop - but rest assured that I wasn't influenced by my selection - to be honest, I've been quite desperate to find quality books, especially for older children. (And the grand sum of $1.20 in total Amazon earnings definitely doesn't hold sway). So without further ado, here are my top 10 children's books for Easter (a note: they are very light on the traditional Christian story, but you can find more books in my Amazon shops).
1. The Easter Egg by Jan Brett, £8.44 from my UK Amazon book shop and $11.74 from my US Amazon book shop.
There are few Easter-themed books that are as beautifully illustrated as Jan Brett’s exquisitely detailed watercolours. Kids will love this tale about decorating Easter eggs, friendship and love. It might inspire them to get creative with their own eggs, too.
Click here to buy it from UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy from my US Amazon book shop.
2. Happy Easter, Peter from Frederick Warne and Company, £4.98 from my UK Amazon book shop and US$7.99 from my US Amazon shop.
Beatrix Potter purists may be horrified by this simplified and stylised Peter, but it’s a sweet little book for babies and toddlers, who’ll enjoy all the colourful illustrations of easter eggs while they open and close the tabs.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
3. Seasons by Blexbolex, £11.25 from my UK Amazon book shop and $13.57 from my US Amazon book shop.
A hands-down winner. If you haven’t already got this incredibly beautiful book for your child, use Easter as the perfect excuse to buy it. It’s not an Easter-themed book but it’s the perfect starting point to discuss the changing seasons and the life cycle, whether you’re based in the Northern hemisphere or down-under. It was the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, starting from zero.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
4. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward and illustrations by Marjorie Flack, £5.63 from my UK Amazon book shop and $9.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
A classic Easter tale written in 1939, this special edition comes with a golden shoes charm. No Easter book collection would be complete without it – and it’s got a surprisingly feminist theme, as well, as mother bunny sets out to challenge the patriarchal order of male Easter Bunnies. Go mother bunny!
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
5. Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Easter: With Colored Eggs, Flowers, and Prayer
by Deborah Heiligman, £4.99 from my UK Amazon shop and $6.95 from my US Amazon shop.
I had a terrific book when I was young about all the different cultural and religious Easter traditions around the world, so I’ve been looking for something similar for Harry. This is a good starting point but it is limited to Christian traditions.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon shop.
6. Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco, £5.39 from my UK Amazon shop and $7.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
Pre-schoolers and children up to eight years will adore this gentle story about an old Ukrainian woman Babushka, who paints the most incredible easter eggs. But she gets more than she bargained for when she adopts a wounded goose. Amazingly vivid illustrations of traditional hand-painted Ukrainian Easter eggs.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon shop.
7. The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, £4.43 from my UK Amazon book shop and $8.99 from the US Amazon book shop.
Another vintage Golden Book classic with beautiful illustrations by Leonard Weisgard of the sweetest little bunny and a newly-hatched chick. It’s not strictly Easter, but your child will love the charming story, playful illustrations and theme of friendship.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
8. I am a Bunny by Ole Risom. Illustrations by Richard Scarry, £3.79 from my UK Amazon book shop and US$5.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
This book is a personal favourite and if you like mid-century illustrations and Richard Scarry, you’ll dig it too. Written in 1964, the book follows the changing seasons, as seen through the eyes of a little rabbit called Nicholas. It’s not an Easter-themed book, but it’s too beautiful to ignore (and the double-page of daffodils, dogwood and jonquils is sublime). Harry has loved reading it since he was eight months’ old.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
9. Where are Baby’s Easter eggs? By Karen Katz, £4.59 from my UK Amazon book shop and $7.99 from the US Amazon book shop.
For some reason, babies never tire of lifting flaps in books, and this one is a beauty because the flaps are big, making it super-easy for little hands. A great first Easter book.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
10. Chick by Ed Vere, AUD$9.05 from the Book Depository.
I bought this book for Harry’s first Easter last year, and it’s his current obsession – I must have read it to him eight times today. It’s a very basic story – a chick hatches, eats, poos and sleeps – but the graphically simple illustrations that pop-up are rather striking. And it’s very cute, too. Toilet-trained toddlers will love the poo bit.
Click here to buy it from the Book Depository.
What about you? Do you have an Easter book collection? What's your favourite Easter book?
Photography of Harry's book shelves by Wee Birdy. And yes, they are those IKEA Spice racks.
Want more Wee Birdy? You can find me most days on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
I've been building an Easter book collection for Harry, and along with a few Easter-themed books, I've thrown in a few books about seasons (it's Autumn in Australia right now, but when he's older we'll talk about the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere), as well as some books about bunnies and chicks (why not?).
I'm actually rather frustrated by the lack of good Easter-themed books around - you know, books with fabulous illustrations as well as a good narrative. So I've included a few vintage books into the mix, as well as ones that aren't strictly 'Easter'. Most of the books are from my UK Amazon book shop and my US Amazon book shop - but rest assured that I wasn't influenced by my selection - to be honest, I've been quite desperate to find quality books, especially for older children. (And the grand sum of $1.20 in total Amazon earnings definitely doesn't hold sway). So without further ado, here are my top 10 children's books for Easter (a note: they are very light on the traditional Christian story, but you can find more books in my Amazon shops).
1. The Easter Egg by Jan Brett, £8.44 from my UK Amazon book shop and $11.74 from my US Amazon book shop.
There are few Easter-themed books that are as beautifully illustrated as Jan Brett’s exquisitely detailed watercolours. Kids will love this tale about decorating Easter eggs, friendship and love. It might inspire them to get creative with their own eggs, too.
Click here to buy it from UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy from my US Amazon book shop.
2. Happy Easter, Peter from Frederick Warne and Company, £4.98 from my UK Amazon book shop and US$7.99 from my US Amazon shop.
Beatrix Potter purists may be horrified by this simplified and stylised Peter, but it’s a sweet little book for babies and toddlers, who’ll enjoy all the colourful illustrations of easter eggs while they open and close the tabs.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
3. Seasons by Blexbolex, £11.25 from my UK Amazon book shop and $13.57 from my US Amazon book shop.
A hands-down winner. If you haven’t already got this incredibly beautiful book for your child, use Easter as the perfect excuse to buy it. It’s not an Easter-themed book but it’s the perfect starting point to discuss the changing seasons and the life cycle, whether you’re based in the Northern hemisphere or down-under. It was the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, starting from zero.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
4. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward and illustrations by Marjorie Flack, £5.63 from my UK Amazon book shop and $9.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
A classic Easter tale written in 1939, this special edition comes with a golden shoes charm. No Easter book collection would be complete without it – and it’s got a surprisingly feminist theme, as well, as mother bunny sets out to challenge the patriarchal order of male Easter Bunnies. Go mother bunny!
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
5. Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Easter: With Colored Eggs, Flowers, and Prayer
by Deborah Heiligman, £4.99 from my UK Amazon shop and $6.95 from my US Amazon shop.
I had a terrific book when I was young about all the different cultural and religious Easter traditions around the world, so I’ve been looking for something similar for Harry. This is a good starting point but it is limited to Christian traditions.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon shop.
6. Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco, £5.39 from my UK Amazon shop and $7.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
Pre-schoolers and children up to eight years will adore this gentle story about an old Ukrainian woman Babushka, who paints the most incredible easter eggs. But she gets more than she bargained for when she adopts a wounded goose. Amazingly vivid illustrations of traditional hand-painted Ukrainian Easter eggs.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon shop.
7. The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, £4.43 from my UK Amazon book shop and $8.99 from the US Amazon book shop.
Another vintage Golden Book classic with beautiful illustrations by Leonard Weisgard of the sweetest little bunny and a newly-hatched chick. It’s not strictly Easter, but your child will love the charming story, playful illustrations and theme of friendship.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
8. I am a Bunny by Ole Risom. Illustrations by Richard Scarry, £3.79 from my UK Amazon book shop and US$5.99 from my US Amazon book shop.
This book is a personal favourite and if you like mid-century illustrations and Richard Scarry, you’ll dig it too. Written in 1964, the book follows the changing seasons, as seen through the eyes of a little rabbit called Nicholas. It’s not an Easter-themed book, but it’s too beautiful to ignore (and the double-page of daffodils, dogwood and jonquils is sublime). Harry has loved reading it since he was eight months’ old.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
9. Where are Baby’s Easter eggs? By Karen Katz, £4.59 from my UK Amazon book shop and $7.99 from the US Amazon book shop.
For some reason, babies never tire of lifting flaps in books, and this one is a beauty because the flaps are big, making it super-easy for little hands. A great first Easter book.
Click here to buy it from my UK Amazon book shop.
Click here to buy it from my US Amazon book shop.
10. Chick by Ed Vere, AUD$9.05 from the Book Depository.
I bought this book for Harry’s first Easter last year, and it’s his current obsession – I must have read it to him eight times today. It’s a very basic story – a chick hatches, eats, poos and sleeps – but the graphically simple illustrations that pop-up are rather striking. And it’s very cute, too. Toilet-trained toddlers will love the poo bit.
Click here to buy it from the Book Depository.
What about you? Do you have an Easter book collection? What's your favourite Easter book?
Photography of Harry's book shelves by Wee Birdy. And yes, they are those IKEA Spice racks.
Want more Wee Birdy? You can find me most days on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
