The Easter Wolf

by Linda Bailey, Brandon James Scott (Illustrator)

Ferdinand the Bull meets Elf in this hilarious and endearing story of a gentle wolf named William who dreams of becoming an Easter Bunny! Perfect for any Easter basket.

All William wants in the whole wide world is to be an Easter Bunny — painting Easter eggs, making chocolate animals, wrapping them in golden foil, and best of all, carrying these treats to the children. William knows it's the right job for him. There’s just one problem. William is a wolf!

When Betty, the Big Boss of the Easter Bunnies, tells him he can't be one of them, William is heartbroken. He's no Big Bad Wolf. He eats vegetables! But William isn't giving up. If he can’t be an Easter Bunny, maybe he can be a bunny HELPER instead? 

A delightful, candy-colored tale of perseverance about an eggstraordinary wanna-be Easter Bunny by bestselling author Linda Bailey and Brandon James Scot, the author-illustrator of the acclaimed The Skeleton and the Cat.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 16, 2027

About the author

I was born and grew up in Winnipeg —a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor.

For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn't begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction.

I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream.
- Source

Series:
* Stanley
* Stevie Diamond Mystery
* Good Times Travel Agency

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (1997): How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail?
◊ Best Juvenile (2000): How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?

Reviews

[Silvia F.]

What a sweet sweet story! My kids loved this book. It was super cute with such a nice ending. Well done! Highly recommend it!

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Little Batties]

The Easter Wolf is a delightful twist to the classic tale that surrounds the Easter Bunny. All William the Wolf has dreamed of is becoming an Easter Bunny. Sadly, all the other Easter Bunnies don't trust them. They worry he is just like the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, but he swears he's not. Truly, all I wanted to do through this entire book was reach in and wrap William in a big hug.

It's sweet, sad, and only slightly humorous. This tale has a powerful lesson to teach about not giving up and chasing your dreams. William keeps chasing, doing whatever he can to prove he's worthy enough to be like all the bunnies he idolizes. He has great skills, all the makings of a great Easter Bunny, but will they ever see his potential or is he chasing an impossible dream? Well, you'll want to read to find out.

When it comes to the artwork, it's beautiful. The illustrations are filled with pastels, perfect for the spring and Easter season. The artist made our main character look so cute and fluffy; it helped make him a truly likeable character and someone readers can respond to. The easy to understand language makes this accessible to a wide range of reading levels, making it a great book to have in and out of the classroom. It's ones I can see littles truly enjoying and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Grandma Susan]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Easter Wolf is an absolutely adorable story that made me smile from beginning to end. William is a wolf with a very unlikely dream: he wants to become an Easter Bunny. Betty, the head Easter Bunny, understandably tells him that this simply isn’t possible.

Betty eventually allows William to help by giving him the difficult jobs that none of the Easter Bunnies want to do. William completes every task well and without complaint, and his kindness, perseverance, and willingness to work hard soon make him beloved by everyone. Although William still feels sad when the Easter Bunnies leave on their great Easter journey, the story reaches a wonderfully satisfying conclusion that I will not spoil.

The lighthearted, colorful illustrations are delightful and add so much charm to the story. They perfectly complement William’s sweet personality and made me smile throughout the book.

This is a lovely story about kindness, helping others, acceptance, belonging, perseverance, and following a dream—even when that dream seems impossible. I was blessed with a digital ARC through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and unbiased.

[Kelsey Frost]

The Easter Wolf is about finding your place and being able to do what you have dreamed of even if you are different. William the wolf longs to be an Easter bunny, but the bunnies are not willing to let him do the job. William finally decides that if he cannot be an Easter Bunny, he can be an Easter Bunny's helper. After many years of helping the Easter bunnies Betty, the lead Easter Bunny decides to give William a chance to be a real Easter bunny. This book is about allowing others the opportunity to do things even if we don't believe that they are able because of who they are. A great book for your Easter collection and to show how never giving up is important when we have dreams we want to fulfill.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

[S. N. Brown]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. These thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
This book was about a wolf who's biggest dream is to be an Easter Bunny, and he's willing to do anything and work hard to make it happen.
When my 3-year-old was asked what he thought of the book, he said "Read this book again tomorrow."
This was a unique story. I loved the underlying message that if you truly want to make your dreams come true you have to work hard and be willing to accept rejection.
No language. No spice, obviously.

[Chelsea Walsh]

The Easter Wolf is a delightful holiday basket essential! We follow William, a gentle, vegetable-eating wolf who dreams of delivering treats as an Easter Bunny.

Watching William prove himself to the Bunny Boss is both hilarious and touching. It delivers a wonderful message about perseverance and staying true to yourself.

Brandon James Scott’s vibrant, candy-colored illustrations beautifully bring this whimsical world to life. It is the perfect seasonal read-aloud kids will love!

[Claudette]

Thank you, Net Galley for the ARC. This was a super cute book. I love the concept behind the story and the determination of the wolf to never give up his dream. It’s a great message for children to dismantle the scary wolf and see him as likable as well as show that hard work and perseverance can be rewarding.

[Cora]

This is such a sweet story! William's determination and perseverance prove what a wonderful Easter Wolf he can be. I loved the illustrations, they're bright, fun, and engaging. Overall a great story and one I'm excited to share with my niece and nephews.

Thank you to Tundra Book Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy to review. All opinions are my own.

[Anna]

I received an advance copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

This was an adorable book! I felt so bad for the wolf is the beginning, i'm so glad he got a happy ending. The message of not judging someone for their looks is super important.

[Amethyst Maxey]

My son loves wolves right now so he really enjoyed this. He doesn’t quite know about the Easter bunny yet but he likes bunnies in general. It was such a cute story and I can’t wait until he gets older to actually understand it better. I look forward to rereading it with him later.

[Mimayk Reads]

4.5 ⭐ - I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was really cute! I love the illustrations!! The story was sweet and I liked the ending!! This is a perfect Easter read!