As someone who is not a big fan of chocolate (give me crisps any day of the week), the custom of giving Easter eggs doesn’t hold huge appeal.
Don’t get me wrong – Baby Bookworm will have a visit from the Easter Bunny, but I think kids can sometimes end up with far more sweet stuff than they really need.
So if you’d like an egg alternative for your child or someone else’s, here are some books with a suitably seasonal theme that make perfect Easter gifts…
1. Jane Foster’s Springtime. £6.99 (board book), Templar
In a sea of boring baby books, Jane Foster’s vibrant offerings stand out from the crowd. Her quirky illustrations just leap off the page and are super stylish to boot.
This Springtime edition is the first in a series centred around the seasons and holidays, and feature everything from traditional tulips and lambs to chocolate chickens and rainbows. They are a great way to boost your child’s vocabulary and strike up a conversation about what they can see, too. Available from Amazon
What are Jane Foster’s favourite five children’s books?
2. Egg by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. £6.99 (paperback), Macmillan
Everyone knows eggs have a pointy top and a big bottom, but what if you are the odd egg out? That’s the premise of this egg-cellent tale about acceptance and difference by the Supertato creators, Sue and Paul.
Containing just one word (egg, if you wondered), this witty book is a masterpiece of visual comedy, as we watch the red and gold painted eggs attempt to make an outsider conform to normal standards. From making him do handstands to putting a hat on his pointy bottom, your child will love the amusing images and the joke of saying “egg” over and over again. Or should that be yolk?! Available from Amazon
What we’re reading: Cake by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
3. Almost Anything by Sophy Henn. £6.99 (paperback), Penguin
Feel the fear and do it anyway is the life lesson that rabbit George discovers in the latest lovely tale from author-illustrator Sophy Henn. With the help of an encouraging bear and a magic hat, the bunny finds that having a go is great – and you don’t have to be good at everything to have a good time.
Aside from its positive message, beautifully told, this picture book is dreamy to look at and is packed with delightful little details, like the Richie Tenenbaum-esque hedgehogs and George’s expressive ears. Available from Amazon
Sophy Henn tells us why she can’t resist a book about a bear
4. Clap Hands: Here Come The Chicks. £6.99 (board book), Pat-a-Cake
Baby Bookworm adores this touch and feel board book specifically designed for babies and toddlers. Each page stars a different baby bird, with textures to feel, actions to observe and a welcome invitation to give the clever chick a round of applause.
The illustrations are bold and eye-catching, and the final page folds out to reveal pictures of all the birds and their pals so you can play spotting and matching games. It looks simple but it very cleverly thought out and the ideal book for a car journey or changing bag distraction. There’s a bunny version available too. Available from Amazon
5. Baby 101 Touch and Trace: Plant and Grow by Patricia Hegarty and Thomas Elliott. £5.99 (board book), Caterpillar Books
Learning is made accessible to even the tiniest children with the brilliant Baby 101 books, that take STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and explain them with bold artwork and simple language.
This nature-themed title from the new Touch and Trace range tackles the topic of how things grow, using finger trails within the page so your child can plant the seeds, help the rain fall and encourage the shoots to rise up. Once the crops are harvested at the end, there’s a lift the flap surprise too. Available from Amazon
Why we love the Baby 101 books
6. Peter Rabbit Bedtime Tales. £9.99 (hardback), Penguin
The beloved Beatrix Potter tales are such a children’s classic and set to be the big Easter movie too. We were given a number of gorgeous versions when Baby Bookworm was born but he’s still too young for most of them.
However, this large hardback anthology features simplified, picture-led versions of four classic stories – Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle. An excellent way to introduce little ones to the English writer’s work and a brilliant new baby, christening or first birthday gift too. Available from Amazon
12 of the best books about bunnies
7. Where’s Baby Chick? by Ingela P. Arrhenius. £6.99 (board book), Nosy Crow
This spring-themed version of these superb hide-and-seek books is as brightly coloured as a pack of Mini Eggs and features a cast of cute baby animals, all hidden behind tactile (and virtually indestructible) felt flaps.
And after finding chicks, bunnies, lambs and kittens, there is a sweet surprise at the end. No, it’s not a chocolate egg – it’s a mirror so your child can pay a game of peekaboo with themselves. Available from Amazon
12 of the best books about birds
8. That’s Not My Lamb by Fiona Watt, illustrated by Rachel Wells. £6.99 (board book), Usborne
Apparently the link between lambs and Easter goes back to how they would be used as sacrifices in the Jewish faith – and how Christians believe Jesus was sacrificed for everyone. Something to ponder as you tuck into your roast lamb on Easter Sunday…
But I digress. It’s a rare family that doesn’t have at least one edition of this bestselling series of touchy-feely baby books, but there’s always room for one more. The simple illustrations, tactile textures and descriptive words are a sure-fire hit with tots, not to mention the cute mouse narrator who pops up in every story. Available from Amazon
Usborne’s bestselling That’s Not My… books turn 20
9. Think Big! by Kes Grey and Nathan Reed. £6.99 (paperback), Hodder
The story of Humpty Dumpty gets a wickedly funny reinvention by the Oi Frog! author Kes Gray. In this version, Humpty is musing about his future with his nursery rhyme friends who urge him to ‘think outside the box’ and aspire to a higher ambition than simply being a boiled egg.
Should Humpty be a hairdresser, a scientist, a doctor or a musician? There’s lots of laughs to be had as we see him dressed up for the different roles. In the end, he decides to really reach for the stars and become the first egg in space… until a very great fall results in a cracking punchline. Available from Amazon
Why we love the Oi! series of books
10. Poppy and Sam’s Easter Egg Hunt by Sam Taplin, illustrated by Simon Taylor-Kielty. £5.99 (board book), Usborne
This seasonal instalment of the Usborne Farmyard Tales series sees preschoolers Poppy and Sam explore the farm for an elusive basket of Easter eggs, meeting lots of animals friends along the way.
With interactive tracers and exciting peep throughs on each page, this is a nice one for tiny readers to engage with. As with all the books in this new range, don’t forget to look out for the yellow duck – he’s hiding in every page. Available from Amazon
Read more…
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