The Country Bunny

Hello, hello! Happy almost Easter!

Today, while I was flipping through a stack of old Easter books we keep in our attic, I found this wonderful treasure of a story. The Country Bunny, by Du Bose Heyward is one of my very favorite picture books for this time of year, and I’m excited to share it with you today.

Thoughts on Easter Books

First of all, I wanted to share a word on the rarity of Easter books. Though there are books on many subjects, with countless ones written for holidays such as Christmas, I have always found the number of Easter books quite low in comparison.

The books that do exist range from very commercialized in all things eggs and Easter bunny, to strictly telling the resurrection story. I think that there are ways of writing both types of books well, though I wish there were more that crossed in the middle. For example, I don’t mind stories that mention Easter eggs and candy, but I do hate when they are all about those things, because by doing this they are misusing the simplicity of Easter as shallowness. And while it is a wonderful thing to read a picture book telling the story of Jesus, that is not always what you’re looking for in a story.

There are many Christmas books that successfully strike a balance between the memories and traditions of that season as well as the meanings of peace, joy, and love found in the coming of Christ. It only goes to reason, of course, that out of a greater quantity of books there will be some of greater quality. But I do wish that more Easter books were written to be special, meaningful stories your family could come back to year after year.

The Country Bunny

The thing about The Country Bunny is that it is exactly that kind of book! It’s sweet and charming, beautifully simple yet truly unique. The story is special and well written, the illustrations are wonderful, and it is the sort of book you will read over and over again without growing tired of it.

It tells the story of a simple country bunny who dreams of becoming one of the five Easter bunnies some day. But her life takes a different path, one of motherhood. Instead of delivering eggs, Cottontail raises her own, twenty one little children, whom she teaches to work hard and well for their household. Long after she has given up hoping to be an Easter bunny, it happens. Now, all of her character is going to be needed for her to complete the hardest task of all. She must show her wisdom, and her kindness, and her swiftness, and her bravery.

This is an incredible story not only because of the compelling story, but also because of its simple charm. Although it does center around some of the typical Easter traditions, it does so in the best way. The book uses things like the Easter bunny and eggs to tell a beautiful story that has the power to grow and captivate your mind.

Final Thoughts

There is so much potential for wonderful Easter stories to be written. I love discovering new books that highlight the goodness and small things about Easter in different ways (though of course nothing is as significant as Christ’s death and resurrection). The Country Bunny is certainly at the top of my favorites. 🙂

What are your favorite Easter stories? Do you have any recommendations?

Happy Easter!

I’m hoping you all have a lovely next couple of days as you celebrate the events that occurred all those years ago. The older I get the more fond I am of Easter, and the more I deepen my knowledge of its meaning, and I wish the same for you.

If you’re looking for some renewing music to listen to this week as you take the time to remember the resurrection, let me suggest The Resurrection Letters, by Andrew Peterson. It is an incredible album that has truly deepened my understanding of these events. Here is a blog post I wrote last year discussing each song from the album.