Legend of the Easter Egg, The (Hardcover)

~ Lori Walburg VandenBosch (Author), James Bernardin (Illustrator) "One April morning when the air was soft and sweet, a boy and his sister went outside to gather eggs..." (more)
Key Phrases: John Sonneman

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One April morning Thomas and his sister Lucy are gathering eggs from the hens and discussing Easter. But Lucy falls ill with scarlet fever before she gets a chance to tell him about Easter eggs. Thomas is sent to the local candy shop merchants, John and Mary, while his sister is quarantined. One day, when Thomas is lonely and frightened about Lucy, Mary gives him a chocolate Easter egg and tells him the story of Jesus's resurrection.

"But why do we have Easter eggs?" Thomas asked.

Mary explained. "Just as a chick breaks out of an egg, so had Jesus broken free of the tomb of death. Easter eggs remind us that Jesus conquered death and gives us eternal life."

Written by the author/illustrator team of Lori Walburg and James Bernardin, and featuring the same setting and characters from their bestselling The Legend of the Candy Cane, this story reveals the significance of Easter, which lies far beyond the wholesale gobbling of chocolate eggs and jelly beans. (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Review

One April morning, a boy and his sister go outside to gather eggs. “Let’s pretend we’re hunting Easter eggs,” Lucy says. “What are Easter eggs?” Thomas wonders.

In The Legend of the Easter Egg, young Thomas learns the deeper meaning behind Easter eggs and the Easter story itself. When his older sister, Lucy, falls sick, Thomas goes to stay with John and Mary Sonneman at their candy store. But all the candy he could desire does not cure Thomas’s aching heart. Only when Mary Sonneman shares with him the story of Easter does he understand the hope he has—and what he can do about his sister’s illness.

Featuring the beloved setting and characters from the best-selling Legend of the Candy Cane, this moving story takes us deeper into the mystery of Christianity. Dramatic illustrations by James Bernardin underscore the chilling fear of separation and death—and the dazzling joy of reunion and new life.

From the darkness of Good Friday to the light and life of Easter, this beautiful story will remind Christians everywhere that because of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, we too will conquer death and receive the glorious gift of eternal life -- Publisher

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310224470
• ISBN-13: 978-0310224471
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great "Legend" to keep the reason for Easter in a childs mind, March 20, 2008

By	Mandy W "mandy" (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This is a great book to keep children remembering the true reason for the Easter Holiday. My boys LOVE these books! They are beautiful. Someone had mentioned in a review that it was not fact, well no, it is not. But are most Legends? (Isn't that way it is called a legend?!) So if you are looking for a book to celebrate Easter and heartwarming, this is an amazing book!!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful illustrations, August 17, 2007

By	LibraryLady (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This is one of several Easter-themed books our family owns, and it is one we return to again and again no matter what time of year. It contains many of the various elements of Lent/Holy Week, and weaves them into a lovely children's story. The illustrations are outstanding, particularly the one of the angel outside the empty tomb on Easter morning. Currently we have the board book version (which is of course abbreviated) and like it so much that we want to buy the full-length version. I'm confused as to why a previous reviewer gave it only 3 stars but had no criticism of it. It's a 5-star book in my opinion and highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brought me to tears, February 2, 2010

By	Briana King (Piqua, OH) - See all my reviews

I have three children who will soon be 1, 3, and 5 years old. It has always been very important to me to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and Easter and downplay the secular traditions. It's easy to do with Christmas. The Nativity scene is as prominent as the Christmas tree, and we have a birthday cake for Jesus. However, because Easter deals with death and resurrection, I have found it much more difficult to explain to the kids, and much more difficult to emphasize the true meaning. I picked this book up at the library last week and just read it to them for naptime. I honestly had to choke back tears to get through it. The story is beautiful and poignant, and the pictures are wonderful. It really conveyed the true spirit of Easter in a way that little ones can understand. What an accomplishment! Bravo!