Easter Morning, Easter Sun

Softly illustrated in lush spring colours, this timely Easter poem celebrates a day of festivities. A family of cats with four young kittens starts Easter Morning with an Easter bun breakfast. They soon move outdoors to enjoy the spring animal babies, a traditional egg hunt, games and a picnic with Easter carrots and Easter cake. The day also includes dressing up in Easter hats and an Easter feast with the Easter bunny as the guest of honour. A family of mice follows them throughout the day in the background, extending the story and making for a lovely ‘find the mouse’ literacy game on each page spread.

The rhyming poetry is as soothing as the full-page coloured-pencil illustrations, making poetry accessible to the very young and an opportunity to develop early reading skills. This book would make a great read-aloud as well as a great way for adults and children alike to share the joy of Spring that Easter time brings to the world.

The author, Rosanna Battigelli, was born in Italy and raised in Ontario. She holds a teaching degree and has written essays and short fiction as well as two picture books for children, both on holiday themes, Easter Morning, Easter Sun and Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round. (www.cmreviews.ca/node/1060)

Tara Anderson, the illustrator, is a folk artist and award-winning illustrator who trained at the Ontario College of Art & Design. She is best known for her humorous illustrations of animals and lives in Ontario with her family and some Easter cats of her own.