Baby Bunny’s Easter Surprise
Helen Baugh and Nick East
Harper Collins Children’s Books

With an appropriately bouncy rhyming narrative and equally spirited illustrations, team Baugh and East entertain young humans (and adult sharers) with what happens when one adorable-looking baby bunny Letty, trails her Easter Bunny mummy one Easter morning on her delivery of yummy chocolate eggs intended for the woodland dwelling creatures.
The problem is though that every egg that is so carefully placed, be it high up in a tree, low down beside the pond or a-top toadstools is so simply irresistible that little Letty, with all her senses alert, just cannot stop herself (even though she knows it’s not the right thing to do) from taking just one ‘teeny-weeny, titchy taste’ – and she’s overcome by such a superchoccylicious sensation that … I’m sure you can guess where this is going.
No matter, thinks the baby bunny, nobody else can possibly know what she’s been up to.

However, despite Letty’s repeated assertion that her misdeeds are undetectable, there’s absolutely no fooling her Mummy. Time to make amends; but that leaves mother and baby with an empty basket and Little Bunny eggless.

Or …

Much better and definitely longer lasting than chocolate eggs, get this for your little ones as an Easter treat.

Ready! said Rabbit
Marjoke Henrichs
Scallywag Press

As this second episode in the life of Dad rabbit and his little one begins, the clock on the wall says 9 o’clock. Dad announces that it’s a good day for a visit to the park and immediately the youngster starts enthusing about possibilities such as picnicking as well as mentioning all kinds of things to take along while Dad urges “Time to get ready!”. 

However it takes several changes of clothes before Dad is satisfied with the suitability of Rabbit’s attire. Then there’s the business of assembling snacks and with that completed, Rabbit finds more opportunities for getting distracted from the task in hand. 

With the clock at 11.20 Rabbit finally announces, “READY!”

Now it’s Dad’s turn to delay their departure: first there’s a phone call; then some important items are missing (hidden in plain sight) which they can’t leave without 

and it’s not until one o’clock that both parties agree that they’re ready to sally forth – hurrah!

Adult sharers of this story will appreciate the gentle irony of the situation perhaps more than young children. The latter will especially enjoy Dad’s drollery and the numerous opportunities to join in with the oft repeated “READY!” as well as the delightful details on every spread.

Some of those slightly older than Rabbit might try reading the book themselves once an adult has read it aloud: the large clear print, close match of text and illustrations, and the natural repetition all make it ideal as they encourage anticipation and prediction, both of which are vital elements of early literacy development.