Easter Bunny, Are You For Real? [Hardcover]

Harold Myra (Author), Jane Kurisu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Is It for Real

Easter eggs, Easter bunnies Easter parades. Children see animated characters, hear silly stories, and shout with glee in egg hunts during the spring "holiday" season. This book helps parents help their children see beyond the commercialism and grasp the true celebration of Easter. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What parent is prepared to answer the question "What does the Easter Bunny have to do with Easter?" This fluffy fellow is not part of traditional Sunday school discussions, yet every spring he makes an appearance in the forms of animated characters, marshmallow treats, and holiday stories. Harold Myra and Jane Kurisu, who have also addressed Christian vs. commercial messages during other holidays in Santa: Are You for Real? and Halloween: Is It for Real?, provide a way of talking about this confusing subject for young Christians. When three children begin to question their dad about the connection between the Easter Bunny and the real Easter, he tells them about Jesus being killed on the cross and his resurrection. "The Easter Bunny has nothing to do with the real Easter. The Easter Bunny--along with new leaves and flowers and new baby kittens and baby chicks--is part of how we celebrate spring. But that's all. Spring is God's picture of Jesus rising from the dead as all of nature comes to life again."

Kurisu's spring-bright palette makes a pleasing backdrop to Myra's straightforward, evenhanded text; chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts are not disparaged, only placed in context. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1ST edition (January 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849914930
• ISBN-13: 978-0849914935
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,101,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harold Myra served as the CEO of Christianity Today International for 32 years. Under his leadership, the organization grew from one magazine to a communications company with a dozen magazines, copublished books, and a major Internet ministry. Myra started his journalistic career with "Youth for Christ" magazine, which under his leadership became "Campus Life" magazine. Author of five novels, numerous children's and nonfiction books, and hundreds of magazine articles, Myra has taught writing and publishing at the Wheaton College Graduate School in Illinois. He holds honorary doctorates from several colleges, including Biola University in California and Gordon College in Massachusetts. Myra has received various awards, among them the prestigious Magazine Publisher's Award and the James Deforest Murch Award from the National Association of Evangelicals. The Evangelical Press Association presented him with its highest honor, the Joseph T. Bayly Award, for his triple career as an editor, author, and publishing executive. Harold and his wife, Jeanette, are the parents of six children and grandparents of five. They reside in Wheaton, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easter Bunny: Are You for Real, April 3, 2000

By 

Jean Lupinacci (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Easter Bunny, Are You For Real? (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent choice for any three (3) to eight (8) year old. It is an especially appropriate choice for a christian family that would like to teach its children about their religious reasons for celebrating Easter. I like the tie-in to the secular message since that is what our children see all around them. The illustrations are very nice and are sure to please your young child. I believe that this is a wonderful addition to our library. It makes the perfect Easter basket gift. My three (3) year-old is the lucky recipient this Easter. I have four (4) children and several hundred childrens titles in our home. I think the whole family will enjoy this book as a read-aloud book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, April 5, 2000

By 

"gtstbk" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Easter Bunny, Are You For Real? (Hardcover)

This book does a great job explaining how "The Easter Bunny has nothing to do with the real Easter." It gives a simple explanation of Jesus death and how he rose from the grave. It also explains how celebrating Spring (New baby animals , flowers and trees blooming)"is God's picture of Jesus rising from the dead as all of Nature comes to life again" It explains how Eggs and Coloring them became part of the easter tradition and says that spring time and the real Easter got mixed up.

In the book a child ask if it is Ok to celebrate Spring by Hiding eggs The answer is Sure , if we also remember that on the real Easter Jesus rose from the dead. It mentions going to Church to celebrate Easter.The book puts the focus back on Jesus where it should be, and not on the Easter Bunny. I love this book!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Share Christ's resurrection without killing the Easter Bunny, April 1, 2000

By 

Karen H (Columbia, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Easter Bunny, Are You For Real? (Hardcover)

Every year I get my girls a book concerning Christ'sresurrection to try and counterbalance the commercialism of Eastertime. However, this year I am excited about offering a book that does more than just show the counterpoint to the Easter Bunny. Mr. Myra does a great job of addressing issues of secular Easter (i.e., bunny, eggs, baby chicks) within the context of the Christian Easter. What a delight to find that this book did not deny or disparage the Easter Bunny (and the joy my 6 year old gets in believing), but rather put this (as well as other traditions i.e., egg coloring, etc.) in the context of spring and Christ's resurrection. I highly recommend this book to Christian parents who want to share the glories of Christ's resurrection without squelching the childhood joys of an Easter Bunny.