Thank you to Zonderkidz for sponsoring this post. All thoughts, opinions and reviews are my own.
Otto is at the age where he understands holidays and looks forward to all of the different ways to celebrate them. We have finished with Valentines Day and are now learning about Easter. While I’m trying hard to convince Joe that we need ducks on our farm (and baby ducks for Easter) that answer is still a hard no. I have shifted my focus to more attainable Easter basket ideas for toddlers. What better way to explain the meaning of Easter than an Easter basket of books?
We had so much fun with the last round of holiday books from Zonderkidz that they were kind enough to send us a variety of the Easter collection. I truly enjoy putting together different Easter basket ideas and themes and watching Otto explore and get excited about them. When the box came he jumped up and down shouting, “A package! A package!” We opened each book and looked at all of the covers reading a new one each night.
Included in the Easter Basket:
There is a great mix of books in this Easter collection. I loved reading him The Berenstain Bears Easter Story and The Berenstain Bears The Very First Easter. I remember reading The Berenstain Bears collection as a kid myself and I found it interesting that the newer books are written and illustrated by the original authors son.
The Beginner’s Bible and the Jesus Storybook Bible are Otto’s very first. I still remember what mine looked like as a kid. It was bright red with simple illustrations and I would carry it to church with me every Sunday. Whenever we read from these Bibles, Otto always has to skip right to the story of Noah. It’s Otto’s current favorite story in the Bible and he loves the illustrations of Noah trying to coax a big elephant into the boat.
‘Twas the Morning of Easter is a spin on the classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”. The Easter story is a new one for Otto but it feels somewhat familiar because of the rhyming. The illustrations are gorgeous and detailed. The page that tells of Jesus’s resurrection is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s a morning scene with the sun rising against the trees and the words, “Then the trees seemed to dance; birds started to sing. All creation joined in to worship the King”. It’s truly a beautiful version of the classic Easter story.
Finally, He Is Risen is an Easter book that tells the resurrection story with rock art. When we walk the sidewalks of the little house in Pentwater there is a rock artist who leaves little towers everywhere and we love to find them. This book is completely illustrated by rocks found in the shape of the disciples, cave and more. As an adult reading this book you truly appreciate the time it must have took to configure the rocks into the perfect display.
As a parent it can be difficult or confusing to introduce your child into your beliefs and religion. These books helped Joe and I start those conversations with Otto that would otherwise be hard to just jump right in to. As Christian parents it’s extremely important to us that Otto is brought up in the faith and this collection of Easter books has helped us explain a bit more about why we celebrate Easter. Sure, we have so much fun with the Easter bunny just like we do Santa Clause but it’s important that we understand the WHY we celebrate this holiday. We truly loved these books and even get a few giggles out of some of the questions Otto has about them.
Thank you so much to Zonderkidz for sending us these lovely Easter books!
