2023 Children's Books · Children's Book Recommendations

Ten New Easter, Spring, and Passover Picture Books

The Retired School Librarian

recommended by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian

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The picture book cover of Happy Easter From the Crayons with a red, purple, and green crayon inside of an Easter basket

Happy Easter from the Crayons 

by Drew Daywalt  (Author), Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Philomel Books. 2023. PreK-1. Hardcover.

Brief summary: The crayons prepare for Easter by making various shapes to paste onto an egg. This small picture book(5.88 x 0.36 x 7.13 inches) could fit inside an Easter basket.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Easter with a chocolate bunny and colored eggs instide of a basket

Easter (Happy Holidays! series) 

by Rebecca Sabelko (Author). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Bellwether Media. 2022. K-1. Early reader. Nonfiction paperback. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1648348532.

Brief summary: This early reader nonfiction chapter book has nonfiction text features explaining what Easter is and how it is celebrated. A site word chart is at the beginning.
This smaller hardcover book(5.22 x 0.07 x 8.59 inches) could fit nicely in an Easter basket.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Easter Eggs and Matzo Balls with a boy looking outside a window and seeing a white rabbit hiding Easter eggs in the garden

Easter Eggs and Matzo Balls 

by Janie Emaus  (Author), Bryan Langdo (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Sky Pony. 2023. PreK-1. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1510769229.

Brief summary: Michael texts the Easter Bunny to let him know that he has a new stepsister, Anna, who celebrates Passover but wants to make sure she gets something special in the Golden Egg since both holidays were at the same time. Both siblings hunt for the Easter Egg and Afikoman bag needed to celebrate the holiday.

The back includes a chicken soup recipe and a matzo balls recipe. There is a glossary of Passover and Easter terms.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Passover with a family standing around the table saying a prayer with religious food on the table for the holiday like Matza

Passover: A Celebration of Freedom (Big Golden Book) 

by Bonnie Bader  (Author), Joanie Stone (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Golden Books. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-0593563885.

Brief summary: This narrative nonfiction story explains why Passover is celebrated by retelling the freedom of the Israelites led by Moses, the Ten Plagues, and the Red Sea’s parting. Young readers learn about the food and the symbolism of the Passover Seder.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Pick a Perfect Egg with cute little yellow checks and baby birds and eggs all done in pastel water colors

Pick a Perfect Egg 

by Patricia Toht  (Author), Jarvis (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Candlewick. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1536228472.

Brief summary: This beautiful digitally illustrated rhyming story begins with a mother and daughter going to the country farmer to pick out their eggs to decorate for Easter. They use natural coloring from plants as well as dye tablets to color their eggs. The two decorate with care and then go to a festive egg hunt the next day.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Pete the Cat and the Easter Basket Bandit with Pete the Cat holding up Easter eggs in his paws while the Easter bunny is in the background; eggs allover the ground and in a tree

Pete the Cat and the Easter Basket Bandit

by James Dean  (Author, Illustrator), Kimberly Dean (Author). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž HarperFestival. 2023. PreK–2. Paperback. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-0062868374.

Brief summary: Poor Pete wakes up on Easter morning and finds that his Easter basket is missing. He follows a trail of jellybeans to a friend’s house who has not seen it. Pete the Cat follows more candy trails, all leading to various friends. Who has his basket?

Includes a poster in the front, stickers, and Easter cards. Cute book for a child’s Easter basket.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Board book cover of Happy Easter, Little Bunny with a cute real brown bunny and watercolored flowers and leaves and Easter eggs

Happy Easter, Little Bunny (Baby Animal Tales) 

by Amanda Wood  (Author), Vikki Chu (Illustrator), Bec Winnel (Photographer). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Harry N. Abrams. 2023. Baby-Prek. Board book. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1419766640.

Brief summary: Bunny and Mouse wake up on Easter Morning looking for eggs until a Fox appears causing them to go back in Bunny’s burrow where there is a beautiful surprise. The first board book in the Baby Animal Tales series.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3.5/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—1/2

Board book cover of I'm a Little Bunny with three bunnies sitting on grass with bees, butterflies and flowers near them

I’m a Little Bunny

by Hannah Eliot  (Author), Liz Brizzi (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Little Simon. 2023. Baby-toddler. Board book. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1665927024.

Brief summary: Bunnies and friends discover Spring all around them. This story can be sung to “I’m a Little Teapot!”

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

The picture book cover of Sister Spring with Spring shaped like a girl with beautiful flowers all over her while she is floating through the sky touching flowers to bloom

Sister Spring

by James Christopher Carroll (Author, Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Creative Editions . 2023. K-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1568463841.

Brief summary: A young woman, Sister Spring, comes up from inside the earth and brings the daffodils, the rain, peepers, and all of the spring elements of Nature. A beautifully illustrated picture book with spring colors.

Teachers could include this book when studying personification.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 4.5/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—1/2

The picture book cover of Don't Touch That Flower with a squirrel and little blue bird in the forest

Don’t Touch That Flower!

by Alice Hemming  (Author), Nicola Slater (Illustrator). Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 978-1728271361.

Brief summary: Squirrel wakes to the sounds of birds and bees and realizes it is spring. The informative blue bird helps the squirrel learn the proper way to care for the yellow wildflower he mistakenly claims to be his own.

“Our Flowers” section in the back explaining about the wildflower.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

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