For most kids, Easter is all about delicious chocolate eggs of all shapes, sizes, and colours. However, the kiddos may or may not be surprised to learn that celebrating the advent of springtime has a myriad of other fun tropes attached.
From fuzzy farmyard animals and baby chicks to the awe-inducing decorative Easter egg hunts organised meticulously by parents and carers, there are a wide range of ways to make memories for the whole family during the seasonal celebrations. Yet with all the fun and games, you might also want to use the Easter break as an exciting visual, comprehensive, and tactile learning opportunity for your children. Channel the sugar high into something ever-so-slightly more educational.
Easter is not only an opportunity to focus on renewal and fresh starts, but you can share special moments with your little ones over some fantastic books that they’ll treasure for a lifetime. Scoop up a board-book full of fuzzy pages and interesting textural moments for your baby who is just beginning to put their motor skills to the test. Alternatively, share your own favourite childhood Easter-related stories with your toddler and bring new meaning to the holiday altogether.
Likewise, there’s the religious story associated with the holiday. Easter, after all, is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ – we just tend to make it a little more kid-friendly. If your idea of teaching your children about Easter involves the Biblical story, there are plenty of wonderfully illustrated, easy-to-understand children’s books about the origins of the joyful springtime celebration.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best Easter books to read alongside your children this spring. Keep scrolling for everything from the classic Peter Rabbit, to crazy dinosaurs.
Jellycat 'The Happy Egg' Book
Reading age: 1-4 years
This playful and sweet story book by one of our favourite cuddly toy manufacturers is all about a jolly little egg. With ten sides, the story follows the happiest of eggs, whose absolute favourite colour is yellow. The little egg takes us on a journey filled with all things bright and beautiful, including the sun, flowers and the stars.
Buy now £9.50, Lisa Angel
Peter Rabbit: Easter Egg Hunt: Pop-up Book
Reading age: 1-4 years
A fun and exciting take on the classic Beatrix Potter tale, this adorable pop-up book follows Peter Rabbit and his friends on a mission to find as many Easter eggs as possible. With interactive flaps, gorgeous, colourful illustrations and ten hidden eggs to find, your little one is guaranteed to enjoy this interactive story.
Buy now £7.50, Amazon
The Dinosaur that Pooped Easter!
Reading age: Baby- 5 years
You may have already heard of the authors of this number one bestselling children’s book. From the minds of McFly alum Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter comes this boisterous, rhyming lift-the-flap story all about a dinosaur, his best friend Danny and Easter. Follow Danny and Dino on their magical quest for Easter eggs in Fairtytale land and help them surmount the toughest of obstacles.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon
Fluffy Chick: The perfect touch-and-feel gift for Easter
Reading age: Baby- 2 years
Author and illustrator Rod Campbell has been creating wonderful and tactile children’s books for over forty years. You might recognise his name from the bestselling lift-the-flap books Dear Zoo and Noisy Farm.
This wonderfully sweet Easter-themed book is all about a fluffy chick, who takes you all around her farm to meet her animal friends. From exploring the softness of the woolly lamb to the cow’s smooth horns, this springtime story will add another layer to your little one’s knowledge of animals, all the while engaging their motor and comprehension skills.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon
Bluey: Easter
Reading age: 3-7 years
There’s absolutely no shame in being an adult fan of Bluey. The Australian children’s TV show has touched the hearts of so many families across the globe, becoming an instant classic for parents and kids to enjoy together. We couldn’t help but include a fabulous Bluey Easter story in this round-up.
Follow along as sisters Bluey and Bingo collect a series of clues and embark on an exciting Easter-themed treasure hunt around the house.
Buy now £3.96, Amazon
The Velveteen Rabbit
Reading age: 1-7
Though written in 1922, this wonderfully touching story about a stuffed rabbit continues to capture the hearts of many over one hundred years later. A tried-and-true children’s book classic about a cuddly bunny who wants to become real, the various farmyard animals that keep rabbit company in the nursery make this a fitting, heritage tale for Easter and beyond.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
The Odd Egg: Special 15th Anniversary Edition with Bonus Material
Reading age: 3-6
This brand-new edition of the classic children’s book by Emily Gravett comes with some charming and hilarious bonus content. The story follows a muddle of birds who all have their very own egg to hatch. That is, except Duck. Curl up with the kiddos this Easter and read along to discover how Duck comes across his very own, very peculiar egg.
Buy now £7.59, Bookshop
Spot's First Easter Board Book (Spot - Original Lift The Flap)
Reading age: Baby-2 years
We at ES Best remember enjoying Spot’s wonderful adventures throughout our own childhoods. In this Easter-themed tale, the Easter bunny has hidden some eggs for Spot to find with the help of his friends. With an expansive 22 pages, your baby or toddler will have the best of times searching for the hidden Easter eggs throughout the sturdy board book.
Buy now £6.33, Amazon
A Very Happy Easter
Reading age: 2-4 years
Enjoy this retelling of the biblical story through the eyes of Jesus’ disciples. An alternative means of exploring the story behind Easter, this book by Tim Thornborough became an instant classic when it was initially released in 2019. With 24 pages of engaging, beautifully illustrated and informative storytelling, your little ones will be delighted to share in reading this book with you.
Buy now £3.99, Amazon