Susannah Chambers (text) and Laura Wood (illustration), The Easter Bunnyroo, Allen & Unwin, February 2020, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760635015
Just in time for Easter, the Easter Bunny has arrived. Or rather, the Easter Bunnyroo. She has long ears, big feet and a built-in basket for carrying Easter eggs. Plus, she’s very good at jumping. She’s still small, but with a little help and some practice, she’ll soon be ready to take on her role of delivering eggs. So, she must be the Easter Bunny, right?
This sweet, Australianised version of the Easter Bunny featuring a rescued joey will capture the imaginations of young children all over the country, especially after the recent bushfire events. The illustrations are bright and cheery and contribute beautifully to the telling of the story, which is delivered with large, clear text to encourage word recognition. Children will enjoy spotting the family’s hidden things used for training Ruby the joey and searching for Easter eggs on the page depicting Easter morning. The final page reveals a twist when Dad finds a trio of baby bats, which must be tooth fairies, and lovers of endpapers will rejoice at the Easter-eggy-goodness that graces the inside covers.
The Easter Bunnyroo is a perfect read-aloud for pre-schoolers in the lead-up to Easter.
Reviewed by Pamela Ueckerman
