Pick a perfect egg

PreS-K--In this rhyming Easter story, a girl and her mother gather eggs at a farm; they bring them home through a spring landscape; then they hard-boil, dye, and decorate them ahead of the next morning's Easter egg hunt. The little girl, with reddish-brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles, wears a white rabbit costume and joins other friends--pale- and brown-skinned, some costumed and some not--for the hunt for plastic eggs filled with plastic toys and candy. The rhyme scheme works well and is easy to read aloud without any stumbles, and Jarvis's digital illustrations are lovely and natural, filled with spring colors. The mother and daughter collaborate sweetly; even their little black-and-white dog helps. There is the usual confused Easter imagery of both bunnies and eggs: the front endpapers show a field of white rabbits in green grass, while the back endpapers have brightly colored eggs in the field. However, those who celebrate Easter are used to that, and they are the intended audience here. VERDICT A springtime Easter tale for young children excited for egg hunts.--Jenny Arch

The creators of Pick a Pine Tree (2017) and Pick a Pumpkin (2019) cover each step of a popular Easter tradition. The first stop for a light-skinned caregiver and child is the farm. Peering into the henhouse, they spot an egg (reminding readers that eggs don't originate at the grocery store). More eggs are collected throughout the spring countryside and brought home, ready to hard boil. While the eggs are cooling, it's time to prepare the dye! The lively text highlights natural methods first ("Stew some plants / to make a brew: / beets turn eggs / a rosy hue. / Spinach? Green! / Berries? Blue! / Try some herbs / or spices, too") but also gives a nod to store-bought kits. After a full day of egg decorating, the youngster wakes up the next morning for a festive neighborhood egg hunt. Happily, treats found inside plastic eggs are not limited to sugar only; they include secret notes, tiny toys, and coins, too. (The child adds their dyed eggs to this bounty.) Sprays of bright greens, a shining sun, and dotted buds on trees as well as pastel bunting and fuzzy bunny ears and flower crowns on little ones bring a light, airy lift to this joyful community gathering. The children involved in the egg hunt are diverse in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Egg-stra special. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.