The Easter Bunny's Assistant
Who knew the Easter Bunny had an assistant? Well, in this picture book, he does, and he is a skunk. When the Easter Bunny sets out to teach Skunk the ways of Easter egg dyeing, in five simple steps, they immediately run into problems. Skunk gets so excited by step 1&#x2014;hard-boiling the eggs&#x2014;that he emits an odor. It is not a small odor either. &#x201C;Please try to control yourself,&#x201D; says Bunny, but steps 2 through 3 are also exciting, so step 4 becomes necessary: &#x201C;REMOVE SKUNK FROM ROOM (push if necessary).&#x201D; Luckily, a nose peg for Bunny brings happy harmony. Thomas&#x2019; thickly outlined characters, set on Easter egg&#x2013;colored backgrounds, are hilarious, with their rabbity teeth, bulging eyes, and expressive eyebrows. Children will likely enjoy the yellowish haze that sets in whenever Skunk gets&#x2014;ahem&#x2014;excited as well as Bunny&#x2019;s reactions. The book&#x2019;s final spread offers simple directions for making the Easter Bunny&#x2019;s eggs. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ann Kelley