Our Favorite Holiday-Specific Easter Books

So, it turns out that you all were almost perfectly 50/50 on whether you wanted holiday-specific Easter books or more general books about bunnies and eggs, so… I’ve got two lists for you! Below, you’ll find Easter-specific titles for a variety of ages and holiday interests— little readers, bigger kids, Christian, secular… Hopefully there’s something in here for you!

If you were really hoping for my favorite non-Easter books about bunnies and eggs for your year-round reading pleasure, have no fear… I’ve got those for you, too! Just click here to see our list of our list of favorite books about bunnies and eggs!

All links below are Amazon Affiliate links. That means your purchase price stays the exact same, but I get a *tiny* commission when you buy through my website… Which I then use to buy more books to bring you even better content! Ages listed are publishers’ recommendations unless I noted that my opinion differs… Always remember that you know your children best!

Secular Books About Easter

Here Comes Easter! (board book) by Caroline Jayne Church (ages 0-3) — Counting book, rhyming words, touch-and-feel, and lift-the-flap all while your child gets to search for Easter eggs hidden all over a house… What small child wouldn’t like this???

Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs? (board book) by Karen Katz (ages 1-4) — Katz’s lift-the-flap books were some of my girls’ favorites when they were younger. You just can’t go wrong with helping the baby find her Easter eggs, gathering other traditional Easter symbols along the way!

The Easter Egg by Jan Brett (ages 3-5) — Illustrated in Brett’s typical fashion (double-page spreads with smaller vignette illustrations around the borders), The Easter Egg tells the story of a young bunny named Hoppi who desperately wants to win the egg-decorating contest. His efforts are derailed, though, when he stumbles upon an egg that has fallen out of a robin’s nest…

Jennie’s Hat by Ezra Jack Keats (ages 3-7) — So this one’s not exactly an Easter book… But, it’s fun to read in connection with the tradition of dressing up and wearing hats or bonnets on Easter! And, as always, Keats’s mostly-collage illustrations are amazing!

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward, illustrated by Marjorie Flack (ages 4-7) —  It’s hard to believe this book was first published in 1939! Did you know Du Bose Heyward also wrote Porgy and Bess? Neither did I! If you don’t have fond memories of this book from your own childhood, please take my word on this one and buy it for your children… It’s an incredibly sweet story.

Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco (ages 4-8) —  It wouldn’t be a good holiday list without a Polacco book! Once again, Polacco draws on her family heritage to bring worldly traditions alive. In this story, Old Babushka is prepping for the painted egg contest in the local Easter festival when she befriends an injured goose (Rechenka). Friendship and magic abound in this beautifully illustrated tale.

 

Religious Books About Easter

Good News! It’s Easter! (board book) by Glenys Nellist, illustrated by Lizzie Walker (ages 0-4) — You can read my full review here. Nellist wonderfully connects new life seen every spring with new life that comes through Jesus’s resurrection… In a simple enough way for even the youngest kids to understand and enjoy!

Let’s Celebrate Jesus on Easter (board book) by Amy Beveridge, illustrated by Rusty Fletcher (ages 2-4) — Beveridge connects Easter traditions (decorating eggs, sharing candy, Easter baskets…) with Biblical truths and easy-to-memorize Bible verses. Fletcher’s illustrations also depict a diverse group of children celebrating Easter.

The Easter Story (board book) by Patricia A. Pingry, illustrated by Mary Ann Utt (ages 2-5) — This book gives a very brief overview of Jesus’s life, and then begins telling the Easter story with Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion are pictured, though in a very age-appropriate way for the audience.

The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross: The True Story of Why Jesus Died and Rose Again by Carl Laferton, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri (ages 3-6, though I think older would enjoy this as well) — This book is beautiful! I actually bought it late in the Easter season last year, and it didn’t arrive until after Easter… So I saved it, and it’ll go in one of the girls’ Easter baskets. More than just an Easter story, Laferton almost sums up the Bible, starting with the Garden of Eden and ending with our redemption through the death of Jesus Christ.

The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs, illustrated by Nancy Munger (ages 3-7) — Higgs tells a simple, and completely relatable, story of a girl who is disappointed in a gift she has received. What child can’t identify with that? On the bottom of most pages, though, Higgs also includes a Bible verse, written in smaller font… The story can easily be read without these for younger listeners, but for children with longer attention spans, these serve as wonderful connection points to the meaning of the Christian Easter holiday.

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt, illustrated by Tim Jonke (ages 3-8) — Though not technically an Easter story (I’ve seen this one included on Christmas lists also…), I absolutely love reading this book this time of year. At it’s surface, this is a story about 3 trees, all with grand dreams of what they’ll do in life, cut down and turned into a manger, a boat, and a cross. On a deeper level, it’s a powerful message about how important even the most mundane callings can be. There appears to be an abridged board book version as well!

The Easter Story written and illustrated by Brian Wildsmith (ages 4-8) — Wildsmith tells the Easter story beginning with Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ending with Jesus’s ascension, accompanied by incredibly rich illustrations. My girls especially like the use of metallic gold paint and inclusion of Jesus’s donkey on every page.

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Easter by Deborah Heiligman (ages 6-9, though I think you can definitely go younger) — This is a beautiful commemoration of how Easter is celebrated around the world. (It’s done by National Geographic Kids, so you know the photographs are stunning and diverse!). Heiligman writes about both the history of the holidays, as well as details about contemporary celebrations and traditions around Easter. The book also includes a substantial section “More About Easter” at the back of the book that includes recipes, craft ideas, an Easter hymn, maps, and more!

Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus by John Hendrix (ages 6 and up) — If you’re looking for a beautifully illustrated, all-encompassing yet age-appropriately simple highlight reel of Jesus’s life, then Miracle Man is the book for you! Because this one isn’t solely focued on the crucifixion and resurrection, Miracle Man is a perfect Easter book to own, as it can easily be read year-round. You’ll have a great time reading the custom fonts that Hendrix uses to bring readers’ attention to important words and Biblical quotes. Be sure to spend time with the Author’s Note to see Hendrix’s inspiration for this book and gain a little insight into how he chose the scenes that he did.

What are your favorite books to read with your children about the Easter holiday? What should I keep an eye out for next year?