Hop! Hop!

PreS--This is a charming anticipatory story of Easter through the eyes of a toddler. Patricelli's oval-headed little tyke walks readers through the adventures of dying eggs, craft time, and an Easter egg hunt. In the end, his greatest surprise is finding out what Easter really means. Preschoolers will relate to the messy portrayal of the art project. They will also find it humorous when the toddler can't find the many eggs during his hunt, even though they are quite obvious. During storytime, teachers or librarians could ask children to count the eggs available during the hunt and compare that to the number the toddler actually finds. The bald-headed baby, sleeping in bunny ears, cottony tail affixed to his diaper, contrasts with a shadow of the "real" Easter bunny busy leaving goodies by the door. This is illustrative magic. This very short board book includes 13 exclamation points; they are all warranted. VERDICT Preschoolers, parents, teachers, and librarians will be excited to "hop" to Patricelli's latest.--Gwen Collier, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY