Reviewer: Sharon Brunner
Jim Olson’s The Reindeer and the Easter Bunny: A Children’s Story for All Ages offers a delightful tale about how a snowstorm almost ruined the Eater bunny’s delivery of Easter baskets. The main human characters lived in an old inn on a lake in the Northwoods. Their names were Hallie, Katy and Jessica and their parents. The main bunny characters were the Easter Bunny, Lilly, the Easter Bunny’s wife, and an entourage of bunnies who lived at their warren, a little village for rabbits. The rabbits met at the Great Dome to discuss a plan to solve their dilemma.
The main theme was cooperation. Many rabbits worked together to thump a message around the world, and Santa’s reindeer came to their rescue. I was wondering if they used some form of Morse code when they sent their message through thumping. Another them could have been the beliefs of many children which are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I was a child and remember believing in all of those magical beings. It never occurred to me that it was probably impossible for Santa to deliver presents to all the children in the world. I can see why this book was selected as a Detroit Free Press Notable Children’s Book.
The book that came to mind when reading this book was “Easter is Cancelled” by Sally Huss. The Easter Bunny decided not to participate in Easter. He was not taking charge or helping out. The other animals had their duties and were working well. His excuse was that no one ever thanks him for all the work he has done, so he cancelled Easter. The Easter Bunny probably has feelings and needs to be thanked. The movie that came to mind was the 1971 “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” Peter saved Easter from the evil January Irontail. Peter was a boastful bunny who had to prove himself by delivering eggs, using a time machine to travel through the holidays to outdo his rival, the villainous Irontail. Both the book and the movie were associated with saving Easter.
I recommend The Reindeer and the Easter Bunny: A Children’s Story for All Ages for its colorful illustrations, because of its unique tale associated with two childhood beliefs, and for its creative way of solving a problem, the snowstorm. I live in an area that could be considered the Northwoods, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. We have gotten snowstorms late into April. The Easter Bunny may have had trouble traveling through some of the storms. Airplanes, buses, and trains were grounded, so there was no public transportation available. The story had a happy ending, and all the children, including the three main characters, received their Easter baskets on Easter day.
Title: The Reindeer and the Easter Bunny: A Children’s Story for All Ages
Author: Jim Olson
