Hap-Pea Easter by Keith Baker

Since Easter is slowly creeping up on us...I really need to get my decorations up...this read seems to be a perfect fit. It's part of a group of books, which center on the 'pea' theme, and I read the Hap-Pea Valentine's Day book earlier this year. (see review here) It was cute, enough so that I'm looking forward to see what these pages will hold. I'm sure it will be fun and lead into holiday preparations.

So, let's roll right in.

HAP-PEA EASTER

by Keith Baker

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book Holiday

24 pages

ages 4 to 8

Keith Baker’s New York Times bestselling peas have some Easter fun in this picture book filled with eggs, chicks, candies, bunnies, and more!

Hap-pea Easter! Hap-pea Spring! What surprises will it bring?

From sprouting flowers and gentle showers to eggs decorated every which way, there’s plenty of excitement to be had on Easter with the peas! And there might even be an appearance from everyone’s favorite bunny…

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Busy, cute, and plenty of things to search for make this a read to enjoy from beginning to end. 

I have read another book in this batch of pea tales (and found it cute), but the peas shine in all the right ways in this one. It's a book about Easter and highlights the energy and bright pastels, which are often associated with Spring and the holiday. This isn't a religious read but highlights the season and usual activities surrounding Easter, especially in the egg direction.

 The illustrations are big and cheerful, making it nice for read-a-louds...to an extent. The peas are small and add so much life and bustle to the scenes. Thanks to their size, readers will have to look closer to discover everything they do as they prepare for the big day. Of course, these also hold humor along with the fun. The text is very simple and delivers just enough to bring across the atmosphere and let the pages flow together. The joy and excitement is obvious and contagious...it simply puts a smile on the face. 

Easter activities make this a solid read for the holidays, but the constant pea activity will, most likely, have young readers gazing at the pictures long after the day has passed. There's also an extra bonus of searching for Easter eggs. Although not directly mentioned in the book, little eggs are hidden in the later illustrations to create searching fun.

And here he is...

Keith Baker has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books for young children, including the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas, 1-2-3 Peas, Little Green Peas, Hap-pea All Year, LMNO Pea-quel, My Octopus Arms, and No Two Alike. He lives in Washington state.

Hap-pea Valentine's Day by Keith Baker

It might seem like today's read comes a bit early, but I was talking to my daughter yesterday and realized something. It's only 5 weeks until my seedlings need to be prepared for March planting! That means Valentine's Day is right around the corner, too.

Time is insane.

I've been spending the last days in our little valley, moving quite a bit of firewood, feeding animals, keeping ice at bay, and not going into to town due to the ice and cold. I also realized why castles had to have people solely there to watch the fireplaces in the winter. Now, we've been heating 90% with wood for over 20 years (yes, we did this in Germany too), but for some reason, this realization just hit (I can be slow sometimes). When it drops below freezing, I need to run both fireplaces in our house (we have one in the basement and one on the main level). Every half-an-hour or so, I run out to our pile, grab a big armload of wood, and distribute it between the two. I can't image how much time it'd take to do 4 or more...and ours are efficient compared to those castles. 

Anyway, today's read looks bright and cheerful. It is part of a series, but I'm pretty sure I haven't peeked at any of the other books yet.

HAP-PEA VALENTINE'S DAY

The Peas Series

by Keith Baker

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

24 pages 

ages 4 to 8

Keith Baker’s New York Times bestselling peas get a Valentine’s Day spin in this picture book filled with lots of loving and giving moments for the peas to share!

It’s Valentine’s Day, and there are lots of hap-pea hearts for the peas to give away. From frilly hearts and silly hearts to growing hearts and glowing hearts, there’s plenty of love to go around. Will you join the peas in giving away some valentines? Any kind will do… every hap-pea heart says, “I Love You!”

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Hearts abound with energy, fun, and a little bit of love, too.

This book is bright and bold and lets the hearts soar. Literally. It's not so much about love and the celebrations Valentine's Day, but rather centers around hearts. Readers are shown all sorts of heart and where they can be found, not only during holiday celebrations but also in unexpected places. It invites readers to notice hearts they are aware of (like in chocolates, candies, and such) before leading them to situations, which surprise a little more (like one made from rope). 

Good feelings fill these pages, keeping fun at the forefront. The text flows well and is just long enough to point out the situations. The illustrations carry the read and draw listeners in as they look for the hearts and smile at the humor.

There's not a lot of meaning or messages, but that's not what this book is about. It's a fun, easy read for the younger end of the audience level and slides nicely into anyone wanting to highlight the holiday.

And here he is...

Keith Baker has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books for young children, including the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas, 1-2-3 Peas, Little Green Peas, Hap-pea All Year, LMNO Pea-quel, My Octopus Arms, and No Two Alike. He lives in Seattle.