Review by Booklist Review
It's Easter, and Harry the squirrel enjoys watching Grandmother hide eggs for her grandchildren to find. But Harry's not the only one watching. Jack the jackdaw is spying and taking the eggs because he doesn't have any of his own. Harry, wanting to set things right, insists that Jack return the eggs and promises someday he'll have some of his own. But when Jack and Harry try to put the eggs back in their hiding places, they can't remember exactly where they go. Fortunately, when the children arrive, they're able to help. Harry introduces Jack to a female jackdaw, and soon Harry is proven right Jack does have eggs of his own. This old-fashioned story (right down to the grandmother, who looks more like a great-grandmother) has a simple sweetness to it. The nicely executed candy-colored artwork, especially strong in its depiction of Harry and Jack, extends this feeling. Pleasant fare for larger collections.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this gentle story from Switzerland, bushy-tailed Harry the squirrel observes a grandmother's yearly tradition of hiding Easter eggs for her grandchildren. Peering at a delicately painted blue one, Harry sighs, "I've never seen anything so beautiful." But when Jack, a jackdaw, steals the Easter eggs and brings them to his nest, Harry explains that they are for the children and that Jack will have his own eggs soon. Vainio's plush animals and bold Easter eggs practically leap out from the bucolic springtime setting. Ages 3-up. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Harry the squirrel has watched a grandmother hide Easter eggs each spring, and this beautiful day is no exception. As soon as the eggs are hidden, though, Harry sees a jackdaw stealing them. Jack explains that he just wants eggs in his own nest. Thus Vainio pulls together two of the rituals of spring-Easter egg hunts and welcoming new babies. Eventually Harry and Jack re-hide the eggs for the children to find and then help them find them. The jackdaw finds a mate and eventually his own eggs are laid in his nest. This book evokes spring through all of readers' senses. Each spread has about a paragraph of text, making it a strong read-aloud choice. The pastel watercolors bleed into the background, while the action in the foreground remains sharp and clean. Vainio welcomes spring softly and cheerfully in this story.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Wanting eggs of his own, jackdaw Jack takes the eggs Grandmother has hidden for the children. Harry, a squirrel, convinces Jack to re-hide the eggs, and, introducing him to jackdaw Jackie, helps him find a better way to accomplish his goal. Soft-focus, pastel-hued illustrations that accentuate the eggs' fine details are a good match for the rather sentimental story. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This Easter story sidesteps bunnies altogether, as it's a loving grandmother who hides her beautiful, hand-painted Easter eggs for her five grandchildren to find. The story focuses on a charming squirrel named Harry who lives in the grandmother's backyard. He is horrified to discover that a jackdaw (a European bird like a crow) has stolen all the eggs and hidden them in his nest. The bird, with the obvious name of Jack, longs for his own eggs, and even though he has a nest, he has no partner and no eggs. Harry convinces Jack to return the decorated eggs so the children can discover them on Easter morning, and they work together to accomplish hiding the eggs again. Harry introduces Jack to a bird named Jackie, and soon the two jackdaws have six speckled eggs of their own. The simple story is predictable and sweet, but the large-format watercolor illustrations of the springtime backyard and the appealing squirrel and birds elevate this effort beyond the usual Easter Bunny adventure. The medium is used to excellent effect, with misty backgrounds of crocus blossoms and spring greens or pink trees glowing against green hills. The Easter eggs are painted in traditional Ukrainian style, with tiny geometric prints and patterns that add a special touch to this story, first published in Switzerland.(Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
