Kid Konnection: Easter Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you some books that are guaranteed to get you in the mood for Easter.

Summary: Duck & Goose are back! New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tad Hills brings our favorite feathered friends out to celebrate spring in this sturdy board book. Duck & Goose have lots of ideas about how to find the Easter Bunny, but will they succeed? Preschoolers won't be able to resist this latest board book featuring Duck & Goose, lots of colorful eggs, and the Easter Bunny. -- Schwartz & Wade

DUCK & GOOSE HERE COMES THE EASTER BUNNY! by Tad Hills is the perfect Easter gift for little ones. I am a huge fan of Duck & Goose and I admit that every time I read one of their books, I smile. Isn't this cover just adorable? And you can't tell from this picture, but the eggs are all glittery.

DUCK & GOOSE HERE COMES THE EASTER BUNNY is an adorable board book about two friends who are attempting to hide from the Easter Bunny. They try to hide in a few different places, but none seem right. They eventually fall asleep to discover that they missed the Easter Bunny, but he has left them loads of colorful Easter Eggs.

Toddlers and parents alike are sure to adore this book and its silly ending.

Summary: One by one, 10 very hungry rabbits find 10 very yummy vegetables for Mama Rabbit's soup pot. Caldecott Honor Book artist Anita Lobel combines learning to count with color concepts in this mouth-watering celebration of good things to eat. One big purple cabbage, two white onions, three yellow peppers, and so on through 10—garden vegetables have never looked so appetizing! Here Anita Lobel makes a delightful story for preschoolers with the two most basic early learning concepts, counting and color. And her beautiful illustrations of vegetables might even tempt picky eaters into new adventures in eating!-- Knopf

10 HUNGRY RABBITS: COUNTING & COLOR CONCEPTS by Anita Lobel is great for toddlers and preschoolers alike. This picture book is as fun as it is educational. The basic idea is that Mama Rabbit has nothing for her soup, but her little rabbits are very hungry. Papa suggests that the rabbits gather food from their garden for the soup. Each rabbit finds something new to add to the soup. For example, the first rabbit finds one purple cabbage and the tenth rabbit finds ten black peppercorns. Of course, with the help of the ten rabbits, Mama Rabbit makes a delicious soup for the entire family.

I think this book is a great way to reinforce color and number concepts, and that makes it perfect for home and classrooms. There is even a reading guide with an additional counting worksheet as well as information about the author and other counting books.

Summary: When Little Bunny can't sleep because "there's too much dark at night," it's up to Papa to find just the right night-light for his little bunny. The pair go for a walk around the woods and Papa points out the possibilities. Perhaps the moon is the ideal night-light? Or maybe the fireflies will be able to help? Or even the little glowworm? Featuring luminescent nighttime illustrations that glow in the dark, and a comforting text, this bedtime story will resonate with little bunnies and their parents. -- Random House

THE BUNNY'S NIGHT-LIGHT: A GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SEARCH by Geoffrey Hayes is another cute bunny book that's probably more appropriate to older preschoolers. There is a bit more text on each page and the illustrations are quite detailed. And did I mention that parts of this book actually glow-in-the-dark?

THE BUNNY'S NIGHT-LIGHT tells the story of a bunny who is afraid of the dark and can't sleep. Papa is quite the trooper and sets out to discover the perfect night-light for little Bunny. He suggests the moon, the stars, a glowworm, and even fireflies, but none of these please Bunny. Papa continues to show bunny that there are lots of available light sources at night, but the bunny wants his or her own light. Mama comes to the rescue with a little lamp that she used when she was a young bunny and little Bunny is finally able to fall asleep.

THE BUNNY'S NIGHT-LIGHT is a very sweet story with gorgeous illustrations and even a few glow-in-the-dark images. I think it's perfect for a bedtime read,especially for those children who are afraid of the dark.

Summary: In this hilarious chapter book mystery, meet a girl whose parents have been kidnapped by disreputable foxes, and a pair of detectives that also happen to be bunnies! When Madeline gets home from school one afternoon to discover that her parents have gone missing, she sets off to find them. So begins a once-in-a-lifetime adventure involving a cast of quirky and unforgettable characters. There's Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, who drive a smart car, wear fedoras, and hate marmots; the Marmot, who loves garlic bread and is a brilliant translator; and many others. Translated from the Rabbit by National Book Award-winning author Polly Horvath, and beautifully illustrated by Sophie Blackall, here is a book that kids will both laugh over and love. -- Schwartz & Wade

MR. AND MRS. BUNNY - DETECTIVES EXTRAORDINAIRE by Mrs. Bunny translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath

Basically, MR. AND MRS. BUNNY - DETECTIVES EXTRAORDINAIRE tells the story of two empty nest rabbits who are trying to figure out the next stage of their lives. They are toying with becoming bunny detectives when they meet a young human girl who parents have just been kidnapped. That's pretty much all they need to hear, and they are off and running on the case. Along the way, they meet many hilarious characters including their neighbor, some ruthless foxes, and even a crazy garlic-loving marmot. It's an adventure like none other that is sure to bring lots of laughs to the reader.

I enjoyed MR. AND MRS. BUNNY - DETECTIVES EXTRAORDINAIRE, and I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in the story -- it really is a laugh-out-loud book. I could immediately tell that this story was going to be cute with larger-than-life characters, but I was surprised by just how smart the humor was. While Booking Son has a pretty sophisticated sense of humor for a boy of seven, I am pretty sure that some of the humor in this story would fly over his head. Having said that, I had quite a few laughs - especially with Mr. and Mrs. Bunny's bantering and their crazy insights into life. In fact, as I read this story, I kept thinking that MR. AND MRS. BUNNY - DETECTIVES EXTRAORDINAIRE is one of those books that can be enjoyed by both parents and the kids alike; and as a result, I think it's an ideal book to be read aloud!

If you are looking for a funny book for young readers this Easter season, then look no more. MR. AND MRS. BUNNY - DETECTIVES EXTRAORDINAIRE is the solution!

Thanks to the publisher for sending review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!