From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-In this updated and newly illustrated version of a 1957 favorite (Lothrop), which was first revised in 1983 (Morrow, 1987), the Easter bunny sleeps through a rainy Easter Day and doesn't wake up until Mother's Day. He tries to deliver his brightly colored eggs then, but no one wants them. Undaunted, he paints them red, white, and blue; dons an Uncle Sam hat; and joins the Fourth of July parade. No one wants them then either. Sadly, he returns home and naps until October when little ghosts knock on his door for trick or treat. They don't want Easter eggs either. Suddenly a fierce wind snatches up the bunny and blows him all the way north to Santa's house, where he can at least help make children happy. A grateful Santa presents him with a gold alarm clock, and the bunny never again sleeps through Easter. The clever story is written in simple, sprightly language and illustrated in an unusual combination of collage and gouache in brilliant colors and a variety of sizes. The flat, decorative style and lively, cartoon figures have a folk-art charm. A welcome addition for a new generation of readers.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
*Starred Review* Ages 4-7. First published in 1957 and illustrated by Adrienne Adams, then reillustrated by her in 1983, this perennial favorite gets an update by Saaf. The story is still delightful; after the Easter Bunny oversleeps, he tries to deliver his eggs on Mother's Day, Fourth of July, and Halloween, much to the amusement and annoyance of the deliverees. Fortunately, Santa Claus finds Bunny a job making toys and hopping in and out of chimneys, and Bunny gets a gold watch as a thank you--a watch that wakes him up right on time next Easter day. The rather delicate illustrations in the previous book, featuring a neatly dressed bunny in a trim jacket and white pants, are replaced here by more exuberant art, starting on the dust jacket with the rabbit, decked out in a striped suit, rushing along as eggs spill out of his basket. Inside, there's lots of patterning, which adds depth to the pictures, and Saaf uses every opportunity for humor, starting with the bemused bunny who just can't get it right. A bold new edition that kids will take to their hearts.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
