Happy Easter, Little Critter

Little Critter

by Mercer Mayer

An eggs-tra special, egg-citing tale featuring the beloved Little Critter!

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter is joyfully celebrating Easter in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he's dyeing eggs, searching for baskets, or snacking on sweets, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to celebrate the Easter holiday!

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites for generations of readers, both young and old!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, Animals, Kids, School

24 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2000

About the author

Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.

Reviews

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Easter story as a child, now it's time to pass it on to my nephews.

[Jill]

Little critter is always fun. A nostalgic Easter.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this quirky and funny children's book. Oh yes, the kids liked it too.

[James Greening · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the memories this book brought back to me as I read it out loud. It is funny how I forget books that used to be so important to me as a child, and then suddenly you are digging through a used book bin and the memories come flooding back. I read all of the Little Critter books as a child, and now I see why...this book is so much fun! I love the story line and how the illustrations add to the dialogue, instead of just demonstrate what is being said. I also love the little mouse who is hiding in every illustration - it forces the mind to work visually and sonically, which is just the best combination ever! I also see where my fascination with monsters started...hahaha. I can't recommend these books high enough!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Critter celebrates Easter with his family.

Little Critter and his sister wake up to find Easter baskets left by “the Easter Bunny” who gave them identical candy and toys, so they would not argue. His family then attends a church service after which the children in the congregation dye eggs, eat a picnic lunch, and then participate in an egg hunt.

While there isn’t any overt mention of Easter as the celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, this is one of the few picture books that depict the religious aspect of the holiday’s observance.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's just what you'd expect from a little Critter book about Easter. Including the fact that, as I wondered, they end up at church. not sure if there was a page ripped out from our library version or if this is how it actually goes, but there was a page of them being on the way to church, and then the next page was just them doing an egg hunt afterwards, which served my non-religious family quite well. My four year old enjoyed this one in just the same way as she enjoys all Little Critter stories!

[Irish Blue Eyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Critter awakens to discover that his sister is already awake, with Easter baskets brimming with candy, toys such as a wind-up bunny, and various treats. The family attends church, but the narrator struggles to see clearly because everyone is wearing hats. Following the church service, they engage in dyeing Easter eggs. A picnic lunch is enjoyed, which is succeeded by an Easter egg hunt in a field, where the atmosphere is somewhat chaotic as children find the same eggs or assist younger siblings. The day wraps up with everyone celebrating a delightful and joyous Easter. The narrative encapsulates the everyday conflicts and pleasures of sibling relationships, such as the sister's teasing and his aversion to dressing up, making it highly relatable for young audiences. It focuses less on grandiose events and more on the simple, sensory experiences associated with the holiday, including the treats, the vibrant eggs, the church hats, and the picnic. The egg hunt is not perfectly structured; it is a bit disorganized with children discovering the same eggs or requiring assistance, mirroring the genuine fun of holiday celebrations. The egg hunt emphasizes collaboration as older children aid the younger ones, fostering a sense of community during the family gathering. This book serves as a charming, timeless introduction to Easter traditions for young children through a cherished character, concluding with a message of shared joy.

[Mary Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this isn't my favorite Little Critter book, it is still a good one. This is the story of Little Critter's Easter, and it would be the perfect story to read to children on Easter. Little Critter gets to dye Easter eggs and go on an Easter egg hunt where he finds the best egg of all.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright 1988. This is a Golden Book. My kids & I always liked this Little Critter book about Easter. He & his sister are a little older in this one, but still young enough to enjoy the pleasures & tribulations of a beautiful Easter day. There's a sense of humor about it that's enjoyable.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

aw, I miss the bugs to find, but there was a mouse, This was a good story, especially if your family does go to church, and they do some of the stuff that are in the book. I would say for a 3 to 5 year old this is a good read.

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute way to introduce easter to the babies!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storytime @ Library 20191011.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone gets sick sometimes. Reading books about it can help normalize the experience. I'm thankful for books like this!

[Morgan Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: fantasy
Grade level: 1
I have always loved reading little critter books. They are classics. They are lighthearted and funny. This book in particular is a fun, cute read.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good book to convey the basics of Easter, including a trip to church.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny but not the usual standard.

[Becky Schell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

[smile · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dog liked listening to me reading the book!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely holiday read to get your and the kids taking about Easter traditions

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't hold the children's interest.

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far my son and I have read All By Myself, Just Me and My Mom, and Just Me and My Dad. This one differs from those, and not in a good way. All of the others in this series (that we have read so far, anyway) have humor built into the illustrations that isn't reiterated in the written text. This made it hard for my son to get when he was younger and made me put these books aside for a while, but now that he's almost 4 1/2 he gets it and it makes the book more layered and enjoyable. But Happy Easter, Little Critter doesn't have that subtlety of the others. The text just describes what is happening rather than saying one thing from Little Critter's perspective and then showing you in the illustration what actually occurred. Somehow it's just not as clever as the others.
With that said, this would be a good beginner Little Critter book, as it's more literal and easier for a very young child to understand. But the others are more fun.

ETA: I read this to my daughter this year, and she's 2. This was an ideal Little Critter book for her because it was simple, and it turns out there is some subtle humor in the illustrations that I missed the first time around (the Little Sister is FIESTY, something that stands out to me much more now that I'm dealing with a feisty little girl of my own...)

[Alicia Beaumier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little critter books never seem to fail. They all have the greatest story line and it is always told in a sort of kid perspective. It is more realistic for example when they get their easter baskets him and his sister get the same in their easter baskets. His dad says thats so they don't argue which I think is very appropriate statement. The whole book they go through the "typical" easter events.
The colors are bright but there more realistic like the sky isn't very bright but there clothes are. The setting is also very realistic and it keeps you very interested. I loved this book and I feel like it could be appropriate for older and younger kids.

[Teacher. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Easter Little Critter is of course from author Mercer Mayer. The Little Critter series is a favorite in our house. We have several book, e-books, and apps all featuring Little Critter. Kids really like the playful and expressive Little Critter who is often featured with his family. This book is no different, showing the fun and exciting parts of Easter as well as some obligatory and tiresome parts. All in all the book is a sweet book just right for adding to your lil one’s Easter Basket.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book. It's the perfect length for a bedtime story for a 1 or 2 year old. Long enough that it lets them wind down, but not too long that they get restless. The story itself was cute about all the different things that Little Critter does for Easter - Easter baskets, church, egg coloring, Easter Egg hunt, etc. I like that it at least touched on the topic of church since that's what Easter is all about. Overall a fun read for Easter.

[Kayla Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about how the little critters spend their day enjoying Easter. I would bring this book into the classroom near the Easter holiday, and ask children what they are going to be doing over the holiday. Then I would have the students participate in a scavenger hunt just like the critters did in the book.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is just the day in the life of a little critter. Very matter of fact story telling, very relevant since it is March. My daughter likes the story, she has memorized most of it, just a few more nights of reading .....

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Critter books capture topics that interest children, this one included. Illustrations are fun and expressive. This title shows the discovery of the Easter baskets, a trip to church followed by an egg hunt and picnic.

[Hope Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good book to read for children to learn a little about Easter. It does not get into the religious aspect just what you do on the day of Easter and that the Easter bunny comes. It depends on the students in your classroom if this book is appropriate or not.

[Gala · Rating 3 out of 5]

The critters get candy on Easter day that come with rules about not eating any until after breakfast.They go to church on Easter morning all dressed up. These critter celebrate with eggs and a picnic and helping small children find eggs. No real reason for why we celebrate Easter.

[Findlay Pennekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little read. Even though I've lived through one Easter, I don't know much about it. I'm looking forward to learning about candy before breakfast, egg hunts and picnics next year!

This book once belonged to Kiara Sampson. Thank you for passing it on to me, wherever you are now.