Dear Reader,
The first day of spring always awakens my senses and reminds me of new life. I see flowers blooming, trees budding, and grass growing. I hear birds singing and baby lambs baaing. I feel warm breezes. To quote Robert Browning, “God’s in His heaven, all is right with the world.”
In keeping with my focus on spending more time connecting with God, I think springtime provides the perfect opportunity to help children understand why Christ came into the world. With so much commercialism surrounding the Easter holiday, children may need to be reminded of the true meaning of Easter.
Therefore, I am excited to once again welcome my friend Laura Sassi to join me today in a guest interview about her latest book BUNNY FINDS EASTER, illustrated by Ela Jarzabek and published by Zonderkidz. In this book Bunny helps us discover what Easter really means.
Read my interview below and discover how to win a copy of this book for your little ones.
Q. Welcome, Laura! It’s great to have you visit with me again today. Since Easter is less than a month away, now is the perfect time to ask you about your latest board book BUNNY FINDS EASTER. What led you to write this particular book?
A: As a young child I was confused about what we were celebrating at Easter. I loved Easter eggs and hunting for jelly beans, but didn’t make the connection to Jesus until I was much older. Inspired by that memory, I wanted to write a book for preschoolers and toddlers that would celebrate those fun Easter traditions and, at the same time, point to Jesus as the reason we celebrate Easter. I wanted the story to be appealing and relatable to littlest ones so I decided to tell the story through the eyes of Bunny who wakes up Easter morning eager to find out what Easter is all about.
Q: This book contains several traditional activities associated with Easter, including decorating and hiding Easter eggs. Was this a tradition you observed as a child, and what role does this tradition play in your family today?
A: Yes, every Easter as a child, we decorated eggs and left them in the fridge for the Easter Bunny to retrieve. He would then hide them, along with chocolate eggs and jelly beans, in the many nooks and crannies of our living room. After a very early morning hunt, my sister and I would put on freshly polished shoes and pastel smocked dresses and go to church. Once or twice, I also remember going to a church or community sponsored Easter egg hunt, but I didn’t like those as much because I remember there was a lot of pushing to get the candies. (That’s why Bunny shares hers in my story.)
With our own kids, my husband and I continued the living room Easter egg hunt tradition, but tried to be extra intentional about linking the hunt to Jesus’s resurrection and the gift of forgiveness and new life we have through Him. For example, while painting eggs, we would add crosses in white crayon, and then talk about Jesus going to the cross for us. Or, while hunting for eggs early Easter morning, we would remember how the women came to the tomb, looking for Jesus, just like we were looking for jelly beans, but He was not there because He was alive!
Q: Bunny and her mother wear their best clothes and their Easter bonnets to church. I remember my mother put a lot of love into making special Easter dresses for me and my sister, and at a very young age I also wore a bonnet to church. Did you wear an Easter bonnet as a child, and why did you want Bunny to wear one? Were you perhaps inspired by the classical song “Easter Parade”?
A: I always wanted to wear an Easter bonnet as a child, but my mom was not a big fan of hats, so I never did. However, I made them for all my Barbies! And, for this story, I made sure that Bunny got to wear one. I chose to include the Easter bonnet in the book, not just to fulfill a childhood dream (ha-ha), but because I think it’s a beautiful way to show the joy of celebrating our risen Lord.
Q: As an English teacher I am always intrigued by an author’s use of literary devices. I personally noticed the use of foreshadowing at the beginning of the book when Bunny’s mother bakes hot cross buns. Was this a subtle, yet intentional reference to Christ’s death on the cross; and could you explain to our readers a little about the history of these savory breakfast buns?
A: I’m not a great baker, but I’ve always been intrigued by these delicious Easter delicacies that celebrate the cross and Jesus. According to tradition, they were first baked by monks in the 12th century with a cross marked in the dough to commemorate Good Friday.
I wasn’t thinking specifically about foreshadowing when I included them at the beginning of the story, but illustrator Ela Jarzabek certainly picked up on it in her illustrations! I say this because after this first illustration with crosses, the image of a cross continues to appear in progressive spreads, first small and in the distance on the church steeple, then closer and closer and bigger and bigger until it’s right there in the sanctuary behind that cute canine preacher who asks the congregation to rise to sing the Easter news.
Q: I also appreciated your use of symbolism: the baby chicks that represent new life, for example. Can you explain why you used the symbols you used, and what do you want your readers to remember about these symbols?
Baby chicks are reminders of the new life we have in Christ. The same is true for the spring blossoms. The lilies that Bunny picks for Mama traditionally symbolize Jesus’s purity and sinlessness. They are also trumpet-shaped so little ones can imagine them as trumpeting with joy at Jesus’s resurrection.
In selecting which symbols and Easter traditions to include, my goal was to pick ones which I thought would be extra engaging and relatable for littlest ones. And my hope? That’s easy. My hope is that families reading this board book with their little ones, will use those symbols to help little ones see how each one can be a reminder of the real gift of Easter – Jesus!
Q: Bunny discovers the real meaning of Easter as she stands to sing a song in church. What song came to your mind as you wrote this scene, and what lyrics caused Bunny’s spirit to glow inside of her?
A: The great gospel hymn “He Lives,” penned by Alfred Ackley in 1933, came to mind as I wrote this scene. What a beautiful reminder that song is that Jesus lives and is with us every moment.
As I wrote this last scene, my heart also overflowed with a special Easter memory. Although I never got to wear an Easter bonnet, I am ever grateful that, like little Bunny’s parents, my own parents brought me to church. I accepted Jesus into my heart at age eight and vividly remember sitting in church one Easter morning, just like Bunny, and really taking to heart that Jesus died and rose again for me – for us!
Q: I understand that your publisher usually chooses your illustrator. Ela Jarzabek has done a beautiful job bringing Bunny and her family and friends to life. What is your favorite illustration, and why does it speak to you?
A: I love all of them, but the one I chose to have framed for my picture book wall is the one where Bunny is picking the lilies. I especially love this spread because it captures the joy of Easter and includes lots of little Easter clues for children to discover – like the nest with eggs, the lilies, the bonnet, the new leaves and more. I also love that Bunny is looking up (almost heavenward) as she holds those lilies and wonders if this might somehow be a clue to what Easter is all about.
Q: What do you hope both children and adults will take away from engaging with BUNNY FINDS EASTER?
A: I hope that children and adults will take to heart that the wonder of Easter is Jesus and His great love for them – a love greater and sweeter than the sweetest jelly bean or chocolate egg.
Q: Where can readers purchase their own copy of BUNNY FINDS EASTER?
A: BUNNY FINDS EASTER is available wherever books are sold.
Q: How can readers learn more about you and your future books?
A: They can learn all that and more by connecting with me on my social outlets including:
https://www.facebook.com/LauraSassiTales
http://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/laurasassitales/
Thank you, Laura! It was a pleasure to speak with you and learn more about BUNNY FINDS EASTER!
To access free activities and printables related to BUNNY FINDS EASTER, visit https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/parents-teachers-kidmin-download-your-free-activity-kit-for-bunny-finds-easter-2/
To win a copy of BUNNY FINDS EASTER, subscribe to my newsletter at https://joycemccullough.com, and share this interview on my Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter page. All entrants must have a street address (not a post office box) and be US residents. The deadline for entering this giveaway is midnight, March 23, 2022.
https://www.facebook.com/Joyce-McCullough-Author-101634928259734
https://www.instagram.com/j.a.mccullough/
https://twitter.com/LitLyonesse
For those adults filling those kiddie Easter baskets, I encourage you to check out Springtime for Your Spirit by Michelle Medlock Adams and Andy Clapp. This inspirational book, filled with beautiful photos of spring, offers ninety devotions of “hope, joy, and new beginnings.”
“A new season gives us a chance to refocus. Life changes when we look to even the smallest details in pursuit of something more. Our attention turns to the small foxes that destroy the beauty of this life. It’s time to run those foxes out because our vineyard of life is coming into season.”—from “Shaking off Winter’s Rust” by Andy Clapp
“If your Easter basket is empty this season, dive into God’s Word and begin filling it with His promises especially for you.”—from “The Best Easter Egg Hunts Are Fixed” by Michelle Medlock Adams
Bonus!! I will be giving away a copy of Springtime for Your Spirit to a local newsletter subscriber who shares this post and tags a friend who becomes a new subscriber. Thanks so much for your support!
I pray you are continuing to find time to bask in the Word every day. May your spring season be filled with hope; and may you, like Bunny, find the true meaning of Easter!
Bunny Blessings,
The Literary Lyonesse
“Jesus!” Bunny sings it out. “He’s what Easter’s all about!”—Laura Sassi
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.”—Charles Dickens
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’”—John 11:25-26
“He is not here; He has risen”!—Luke 24:6
Joyce, it’s such a pleasure to be featured in your newsletter. Your questions about Bunny Finds Easter were so thoughtful. I hope families use the book to introduce Easter to their littlest ones. Thank you for having me as your guest!
I was honored to share! Thank YOU!
enjoy this blog and the books are great!
I would love to be entered to win a copy of Bunny Finds Easter, as well as Springtime for Your Spirit. I believe I am already a subscriber. These books, along with your newsletter, both seem to have appeared with perfect timing. I will try to think of other literature loving friends to tag who would love all these things too.
Yes, Lindsay, you are already a subscriber. Thank you for sharing and tagging. I know the authors really appreciate it. Both of these books are precious!