What? No Easter Eggs?

A children’s tale about Easter and the power of sharing.

Stuart’s second children’s book in a series begins with several animal characters—Penny Porcupine, Willard Warthog, and Tubby Turtle—having a discussion on the day before Easter. Each expresses a desire to have a fun Easter egg hunt and egg-painting session. The animal friends visit their egg-laying neighbors and ask if they can borrow their eggs for painting purposes. Because Easter is in the spring, the eggs are very close to hatching, so Greta Goose, Tilda Turtle, and Hattie Hawk all refuse. As a result, Penny, Willard, and Tubby are dejected that they have nothing to paint. However, the turtle tells the others that he has an idea and consults with Greta, Tilda, and Hattie. When the animals gather again the next day, Penny and Willard are delighted to see the mothers bring their new babies to the painting session, at Tubby’s invitation. The babies are decorated with polka dots, stripes, and many other designs and colors. Everyone plays hide-and-seek and it all ends with a happy Easter parade. Stuart’s text is simple enough to be fun for very young children to read, and silly and sweet enough that older children may also find the book engaging. The tone is warm, and the premise appealingly offbeat as it alternates pages of text with Connors’ full-color, cartoonlike images that clearly depict the action. This makes the reading experience even more digestible and pleasant, as it truly makes the reader feel a part of the festivities. Throughout, the illustrations offer consistent details, vibrant colors, and easily identified emotions.

An often engaging holiday short story about the joys of new beginnings.

- Kirkus Review