Hello everyone!
Happy Easter! Below are a dozen eggcellent Easter picture books. Some tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection and others feature the Easter bunny or Easter egg hunts.
After looking at the book recommendations, don’t forget to check out the Easter-themed crafts (some make cute Easter decorations), math activities, and snacks at the end of the post.
Picture Book Recommendations
The Easter Bunny’s Assistant by Jan Thomas is a lesson in how to color Easter eggs given by the Easter Bunny and his assistant, Skunk. Unfortunately, Skunk gets excited easily, which makes the process a smelly affair. Kids will enjoy this humorous lesson in egg dying.
A Very Happy Easter by Tim Thornborough tells the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection while paying special emphasis on how different people felt. In addition to sharing the Good News about Jesus, the book teaches empathy by asking kids to mimic the characters’ facial expressions and to think about how they felt.
The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs, illustrated by Nancy Munger is about a girl named Maggie who receives a box of dirt from her father with a mysterious plant’s bulb in it. She is disappointed with the gift, forgets about it for a while, and then throws the bulb outside. On Easter morning, she discovers that the bulb has grown into a beautiful lily. On most of the pages a Bible verse shows how Maggie’s story mirrors Jesus’ life on Earth and how God the Father must have felt that the precious gift of His Son was undervalued and unappreciated. And just as God forgives us for our sins, the books ends with Maggie’s father forgiving her for not appreciating his gift sooner.
The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen, illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert tells how the Easter Bunny got his start making eggs and delivering Easter baskets on Easter morning.
Happy Easter, God by Elspeth Campbell Murphy, illustrated by Jim Lewis is a series of poems that celebrate what children love about Easter. Each poem is paired with an illustration and a Bible verse.
That’s My Colt: An Easter Tale by Dandi Daley Mackall, illustrated by Chris Ellison tells the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His death, and His resurrection from the point of view of Matthias, the boy who owned the colt that Jesus rode into Jerusalem.
Turkey’s Eggcellent Easter by Wendi Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper is about a group of farm animals who want to win an Easter egg hunt prize by finding one of the special eggs, but they can’t participate in the hunt because it is only for children. The animals disguise Turkey different ways so he can find a special Easter egg, but each attempt to get an egg is foiled. The animals’ shenanigans are sure to delight readers of all ages!
God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant is about a father bear telling his daughter about the meaning of Easter and how God gave us Easter so that we could be with Him forever.
Benjamin’s Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Melody Carlson, illustrated by Jack Stockman tells the story of Jesus from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem through His resurrection from the point of view of a boy named Benjamin, who has an empty treasure box that he fills up with meaningful objects that he finds or is given during key events. Although this book can stand alone, it is designed to be read while children open resurrection eggs.
Last One in Is a Rotten Egg! by Diane deGroat is about Gilbert, Lola, and their older cousin Wally, who is very competitive. At the Easter egg hunt there are two prizes: one for finding the golden egg and one for finding the most eggs. Wally is so determined to win that he steals the golden egg from Lola despite already having the most eggs. Using Wally’s competitiveness against him, Gilbert tricks Wally into dropping all of his eggs. Gilbert returns the golden egg to Lola and wins the prize for finding the most eggs. When Gilbert gives his prize to Wally because it rightfully belongs to him, Wally learns that how you treat people is more important than winning.
Easter Eggs for Anya: A Ukrainian Celebration of New Life in Christ by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport is about a girl named Anya who is sad because her father is fighting in a war and they do not have any eggs to turn into pysanky eggs for Easter. When a fox kills a wild goose that was defending its nest, Anya takes the eggs home, thankful that God has given her eggs for Easter. On Easter morning, the eggs hatch, and Anya finds that God has given her a better gift than pysanky eggs.
The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross by Carl Laferton, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri tells why Jesus died and rose again. An abridged version of the Garden of Eden, the curtain in the Temple, and Jesus’ life on Earth are given. The book’s focus is that it is good to be with God, but that we are separated from Him by our sin. The book ends with the Good News that because Jesus took our sin away when He died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can be with God again.
Crafts
- DIY Resurrection Eggs (Preschool through Elementary)
- Popsicle Stick Cross (Preschool)
- Tape Resist Easter Cross (Preschool through Elementary)
- Easy Cross Bird Feeder (Elementary)
- He is Risen! Empty Tomb Craft (Preschool)
- He is Risen! Empty Tomb Craft (Elementary)
- Handprints Easter Lily Bouquet (Preschool through Elementary depending on amount of adult prep)
- Tin Foil Easter Egg (Preschool through Elementary)
- Paper Eggs (Elementary)(The English instructions are below the Swedish instructions.)
- Easter Bunny Headband (Preschool through Elementary depending on amount of adult prep)
- Foam Cup Bunny (Preschool through Elementary depending on amount of adult prep)
- Paper Plate Sheep Mask (Preschool)
- Bubble Wrap Sheep Craft (Preschool through Elementary)
- Mini Popsicle Stick Chicks (Preschool through Elementary)
- Spring Chicks Egg Carton Craft (Elementary)
Math Activities
- How To Make Learning Fun With Jelly Beans (Pre-K through Elementary)
- Hands On Easter Math (Pre-K through Elementary)
- Easter Egg Math Activities for Kindergarten {Freebies Included!} (Kindergarten through 1st grade)
- 16 Spring and Easter Math Ideas (Kindergarten through Elementary)
- Easter Basket Math Challenge w/ FREE Printables (Elementary)
Snacks
- Easter Resurrection Rolls
- Rice Krispies Easter Egg Treats
- Easter Cross Rice Crispy Treats
- Peeps Easter Bunny Dirt Cups
- Decorated Easter Sheep Cookies with Gift Tags to Print
- M&M Easter Egg Marshmallow Fudge Brownies
- Empty Tomb Cupcakes with He Is Risen Printable Flags
- Easter Basket Cookies
- Empty Tomb Cake
- Easter Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Happy reading!
Katie
P.S.
For more themed book recommendations and activities, visit my post library.
katiemerkelwriter 