If Animals Celebrated Easter

by Ann Whitford Paul, David Walker (Illustrator)

Overview

A must-have for any nursery! If Animals Celebrated Easter is another charming board book in the bestselling If Animals Kissed Goodnight series that imagines springtime celebration from creatures all across the animal kingdom – making it a perfect gift for Easter baskets.

What if animals did what YOU do?

Colt would weave a basket of hay. Calf would splat-splatter his eggs with spots. Mama and Lamb would lead their friends in a parade. All the farm animals would celebrate Easter in their own special way. 

Featuring playful rhymes and adorable art, little ones can see how creatures, great and small, celebrate Easter. Families will giggle along as they imagine the critters that inhabit places near and far. A wonderful gift for baby showers, birthdays, new parents, or any occasion!

Don't miss the other books in this adorable series: If Animals Kissed Good Night, If Animals Said I Love You, If Animals Celebrated Christmas, If Animals Went to School, If Animals Gave Thanks, If Animals Tried to Be Kind, If Animals Trick-or-Treated, and If Animals Went to Work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374392543
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	01/13/2026
Series:	If Animals Kissed Good Night
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Ann Whitford Paul is the author of the bestselling If Animals series, including If Animals Kissed Good Night, which School Library Journal calls “charming”; If Animals Went to School; If Animals Celebrated Christmas; If Animals Gave Thanks; and If Animals Tried to be Kind. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

David Walker has illustrated many books for children, including Victoria Adler’s Baby, Come Away and Ann Whitford Paul’s Little Monkey Says Good Night and If Animals Kissed Good Night. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"A sweet Easter primer for the youngest of snuggle bunnies." —Kirkus

From the Publisher

10/11/2024

Toddler-K—Animals large and small hurriedly prepare for this year's Easter celebration at the farm. After a busy day of weaving baskets and dip-dyeing eggs, each barnyard family settles in on Easter eve for one more sleep before Rabbit's treat-laden visit. After waking and enjoying Rabbit's tasty gifts, from jelly bean kibble for Puppy to candied grass for Lamb, the animals of the farm gather at Rabbit's den to say their thanks for the wonderful day. With this title's inclusion of literacy skill-supporting devices of rhyming, concept recognition, animal sounds, and vocabulary, it has all of the right ingredients for a winning holiday picture book. Despite these strengths, the combination of text and illustration feels a little stale, and the hazy, pastel aesthetic of the artwork looks dated. VERDICT Suitable Easter basket fodder, but not outstanding enough to make the cut for most library collections.—Sarah Simpson

School Library Journal

2024-10-12
Young farmyard friends busily prepare for a springtime celebration.

After collaborating on tales devoted to animals observing Halloween and Christmas, Paul and Walker turn their attention to Easter. The farm families gather, weaving baskets and dyeing eggs. Kitten and Cat interlace fabric strips for their basket (Kitten paws energetically at the dangling ribbons), while Goat and Kid fittingly make theirs out of paper and cans that they have munched into shape. Hen, of course, provides the eggs, which are intricately decorated by Lamb, using a feather. Mouse Pup uses its tail to dip an egg into a jar filled with dye, while spotted Calf prefers to splatter his eggs with paint, creating a splotchy pattern that matches his coat. The farm hums with the awakening of spring, set against pastel green hills and soft golden hay. Who hides the eggs after everyone’s gone to sleep? Rabbit, naturally, on “hippity-hop-hopping legs.” Onomatopoetic action words are bolded throughout, while the text placement curves in waves, matching the plump roundness of the animal tots. The rhymes bounce softly along, just like Rabbit cautiously bounding with her wagonful of eggs to hide. Jelly beans and chocolate treats (which Piglet loves to “snuff-snuffle-snort”) are also included in this barnyard portrayal of holiday traditions.

A sweet Easter primer for the youngest of snuggle bunnies.(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews