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Looking for Easter

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Little Bunny can sense something new in the air, and it smells like sunshine and warm breezes. "It smells like Easter!" his friends tell him. But Little Bunny wonders: what is Easter? So he sets out through the forest on an early spring day to find out... This sweet, simple story by Dori Chaconas conveys the spirit of the season through nature, while Margie Moore's gentle, detailed watercolors reveal the new life of springtime.

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2008

3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

Dori Chaconas

42 books12 followers
Dori Chaconas learned story pacing from an early age while entertaining her younger siblings. The author of such picture books as ON A WINTRY MORNING, ONE LITTLE MOUSE, and MOMMA, WILL YOU?, she lives in Germantown, Wisconsin.

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5 stars
46 (27%)
4 stars
79 (47%)
3 stars
31 (18%)
2 stars
9 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,913 reviews1,315 followers
March 26, 2011
Oh, I felt all soft and warm and fuzzy as I read this. This book is appropriate for the youngest child and, most importantly, children who come from families that normally celebrate Easter and those who do not. I read it because I’d read it was a vegan friendly Easter book (no animal milk chocolate bunnies, eggs for human consumption, etc.) and I was delighted to find that was true. Easter is “new life” and that is compatible with Christianity but also appropriate for non-Christians. I love the emphasis on nature and springtime.

The illustrations are adorable. I especially loved the basket and the robin, but all the animals and plants and backgrounds were lovely. I love watercolors anyway, and these were a perfect accompaniment to the story, and also contributed to directly telling the story. It’s a story about curiosity, friendship, generosity, and nature. I think that young children who love animals and are fascinated with babies will be enthralled. This is a very sweet book but not overly so. I can recommend this for all vegan children and all young children.

For me, this book is definitely is superior to vegan unfriendly books and religious books that are prevalent as Easter themed books.

4 ½ stars
Profile Image for Luisa Knight.
3,223 reviews1,214 followers
February 28, 2018
The pictures and the story were sweet - but I didn't agree with the message. Easter is not babies being born; that's spring. Easter, if you really want to find it, is with Jesus's resurrection. So maybe just tell your kids it's a spring story.

Ages: 3 - 6

#easter #spring

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,784 reviews
May 3, 2011
An absolutely adorable story of a little bunny who goes looking for Easter. What is Easter, exactly? Is it a grass basket, sweet berries, an egg... or is it perhaps all of these things, and even more? As bunny carries on his search and helps his (super cute!) meadow friends, he comes to find Easter in his own special way.

I love this book! The story and illustrations are so warm and cozy and hold such a sweet meaning without being didactic or cloying. It's a wonderful celebration of spring, and of the idea of new life and new beginnings. I believe it can be appreciated by both religious and secular readers at Easter time.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
4,951 reviews62 followers
April 3, 2019
A sweet story about a little rabbit looking for "Easter" and discovering the power of cooperation, friendship, and sacrifice along the way. In the end, he learns that "Easter" is new life and spring, which is fabulous in a public library Easter-themed story time, but could also be used by parents as a springboard to discuss the Christian origins and teachings of Easter as the time of the resurrection of Christ and His sacrifice and rebirth. Beautiful, bright and clear illustrations just make it that much better. I definitely recommend this one!
Profile Image for Danielle.
38 reviews
February 9, 2015
I really thought this story was well done. I love how the rabbit went to several friends as he learned about what Easter was. He slowly gets the basket figured out and then so generously gives it up to help a bird make a home for his babies. The best part is at the end he is led back to his friends to see new birth of many babies. The moral of the story was that the meaning of Easter isn't baskets and candy....its the celebration of new birth.
Profile Image for Tam.
909 reviews18 followers
July 30, 2014
I think this book should be titled, "Looking for Spring" because it wasn't a typical "Easter" book. Most kids know about the Easter Bunny so it seems strange that this bunny doesn't even know what Easter is! That being said, I thought it had a great message about helping others.
Profile Image for Kim.
292 reviews
April 7, 2013
I loved this book and so did my little girl. What a sweet story about a little bunny searching for Easter and the wonder he discovers. It is a great Easter book for children who are too young understand fully the REAL Easter story.
55 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2014
Great book about the meaning of Easter that you can use in a classroom. You can't incorporate Jesus but this book tells the purpose of celebrating Easter and shows that doing good and serving others is the best way to celebrate that renewal of self and life. Great teaching opportunities.
Profile Image for Kim.
800 reviews27 followers
March 31, 2015
Adorable! It is a book more about spring than anything. A non-religious look at the Easter season and spring for little ones.
Profile Image for Lagobond.
487 reviews
May 5, 2022
I adore Margie Moore's cute-as-a-button illustrations. Her website says that she specializes in sweetness and, well, I couldn't agree more. To me, her style evokes 1970s/80s illustrations from then-Czechoslovakia. In my opinion, some of the best older children's literature and art for kids was created in Eastern Europe, so that's a big compliment :)

The story here is nice. Little Bunny goes out to find Easter, but doesn't know what exactly that is. He goes to to ask other animals for advice, and they help him assemble an Easter basket. Then a minor disaster strikes, but fortunately our lapine hero is willing to help out with a personal sacrifice. So far, so good: a sweet story with an emphasis on helping each other.

After a rainy interlude, Little Bunny (who thought he had missed Easter) re-emerges from his burrow to find that all the other critters have had babies in the meantime. Happiness ensues. This is super cute and all, but Wren's message that "Easter is new life; Easter is all around us today!" made me roll my eyes. Last I checked, animals don't care about religious holidays. So while I find the book pretty endearing overall, I bristle at this weird conclusion, and also I'm not into religion to begin with, so I will not be handing this book to any of the kiddos. Five stars for the illustrations, though!
Profile Image for Rose Rosetree.
Author 15 books475 followers
February 21, 2023
Such a gentle, sweet beginning to this tale about Little Bunny, including this:

"Something was in the air. It smelled like sunshine and warm breezes and clear flowing water."

In response to Bunny's repeated question, "What is Easter?" Many answers follow. My favorite is a child-sized answer about the spiritual-and-religious meaning of this holiday.

Thank you, writer Dori Chaconas and illustrator Margie Moore for this lovely book.
585 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2020
Our almost-3-year-old absolutely loved this book. It was a little simple for Mama, but if you're looking for a sweet and nondenominational Easter book, this one has a lovely message about helping your friends and celebrating new life.
Profile Image for Jen.
138 reviews9 followers
February 10, 2018
A perfect book that teaches what Easter is. It's adorable n enjoyable.
Profile Image for Alison.
1,023 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2021
Sweet Easter story without being commercial or overtly religious
Profile Image for Rachel.
84 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2014
In the story the little bunny is looking for Easter. In his search he ends up helping all of his friends by collecting branches, digging holes, collecting berries, and in the end she gave her basket away to Robin as a next. We learned in the story that Easter comes with new life, it is new life. Children would have fun learning how animals lived in the wild and what they need to survive.
Profile Image for Christopher Petty.
15 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2014
The author seems to have left out that Easter is a religious holiday. If someone would introduce the poor bunny to Jesus then he could stop looking for Easter because he would understand its true meaning....which isn't about baskets, babies, sweets or springtime weather. A cute story but a definite miss.
Profile Image for Haley.
1,365 reviews101 followers
February 5, 2015
Out of all of the books that I read today, this one was most likely my favorite. I know that Children have these sorts of questions as well, just like Little Bunny has questions. I think that it is told in such as way as to be easily understood and that children would find the pictures very pleasant, just like I did. A fun little Easter Tale.
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book670 followers
June 4, 2009
This book is an adorable way to teach the real meaning of the Spring season and the idea that Easter means "new life." It's a wonderful story to read aloud to children. We've borrowed this book a few times from the library.
Profile Image for Heather.
1,949 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2011
21 months - A nice Easter book about spring and new life without needing to be religious. Very cute.
Profile Image for Kathy.
2,741 reviews5,976 followers
September 10, 2011
This is a non religious Easter book that focus on Spring, giving and new life.
Profile Image for Caroline Dougherty.
22 reviews
October 16, 2014
Such a sweet and innocent story about the moral of Easter and new life! It resembles Christ without talking about Him.
Profile Image for Shasta.
138 reviews6 followers
November 5, 2017
Faith Friends 2016 - What does Easter smell, feel, and taste like? Great book to use for a jumping off place into the true meaning of Easter
Profile Image for Teri.
2,489 reviews25 followers
April 12, 2012
Pleasantly surprised by this book--I liked the idea at the end of the book that Easter is new life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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