Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations
by H. Harris Healy, III, President, Logos Bookstore Logos Bookstore
1575 York Avenue (Between 83rd And 84th Sts.) New York, New York 10028
(212) 517-7292, Fax (212) 517-7197
WWW.NYCLOGOS.CITYSEARCH.COM
After a long winter, the earlier rising of the sun and the sound of many birds is a welcome indication that spring is here. One of the wonderful celebrations of spring is Easter. The word, Easter, comes from the Old English word, Eastre, which was the name of a spring goddess. Some of Easter's customs are very spring like activities such as wearing new clothes, and painting and rolling eggs. This subject matter is covered in several of the children's books reviewed here.
Long out of print but recently reissued is The Easter Rabbit's Parade written and illustrated by the well-known 20th century children's book author and illustrator, Lois Lenski. From its wonderful cover of a white rabbit with a chocolate brown choker with flowers around its neck holding an Easter basket of multicolored eggs amidst a pink backdrop and standing on a chocolate brown base on the front and the white rabbit with a little girl and the words, ÔHappy Easter', on the back cover to its sweet story of how the hen, the ducks, the geese, the swans, the sheep, the pig and the rooster will make Easter for the little girl, Anne Eliza who takes care of them, and the white rabbit's contribution as well as the grumpy goat, The Easter Rabbit's Parade is a most enjoyable book.
The Golden Egg, written by A.J. Wood, designed by Janie Louise Hunt with pictures by Maggie Kneen tells of a quest by a duck and a chick to find a golden egg. On their journey they discover many beautiful eggs of blue, red, purple, pink and silver, all peering through lushly illustrated flaps of flowers, trees and other vegetation that can be raised to reveal each egg in its full splendor. Even the swan's glittering egg is not gold but pink. Nor do the Easter bunnies have any golden eggs. Finally the duck and the chick are led to a nesting goose who tells them that she has eggs of many colors, but underneath their wrappings they are all the same, as the reader finds out when the dual flaps are lifted to reveal that the eggs are chocolate. This book is a visual delight.
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, by Charles M. Schulz has the Peanuts gang attempting to celebrate Easter in their own highly energetic way. Peppermint Patty is trying to instruct Marcie how to prepare eggs for egg painting. Only Marcie cooks the eggs every which way except boiling them in their shells. So there are no Easter eggs to paint. Linus reassures Peppermint Patty that the Easter Beagle will come with Easter eggs for all. Lucy gets annoyed with Linus about this while she prepares her own private Easter egg hunt, painting her own eggs to hide in places only she will know about. Sally would like to believe Linus, but can you trust a man with a blanket?
And Snoopy, when not dreaming of dancing with rabbits becomes the Easter Beagle and provides a spirited conclusion with interesting twists to this tale. As for Charlie Brown, he is Charlie Brown. Do find out what happens, it is a fun book.
Easter Parade based on the song by Irving Berlin with splendid illustrations of a rabbit forest New York, tree buildings with names like Bird Orf Goodman, Tiffury& Co., and Rockefuzzy Center among others and a story about a rabbit taking his daughter to the Easter Parade by Lisa McCue, illustrator of the Corduroy series is a delightful picture book of cute animals marching in the Easter Parade to the words of Irving Berlin's song. At the back of the book are the words and music for ÔEaster Parade'.
The First Easter written and illustrated by Carol Heyer lets the reader know that there is more to Easter than new grass, rabbits and Easter baskets of candies and eggs. She gives a short visual overview of Jesus' life before recounting his entry into Jerusalem, his confrontation with the moneylenders in the Temple, his conversation with priests and elders, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, his arrest, his crucifixion and his resurrection. The book is geared for a young child to understand what happened that first Easter through the simple text and the large full-color illustrations that accompany the text.
Do come to Logos for these books, Easter, Passover, Graduation and Mother's Day cards and Passover books, Haggadahs and graduation presents and anything else you might desire. Happy Spring!
Upcoming Events at Logos:
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 at 7 P.M., KYTV Reading Group will discuss Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai.
Monday, April 12, 2004 at 7 P.M., Love, Vows, A Connection: The Marriage Of A People to their God, will be led by literary agent and Torah scholar Richard Curtis. Genesis, chapters 29-50 will be discussed in this third meeting of the Sacred Texts discussion group.
Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at 7 P.M. KYTV Reading Group will discuss A Gesture Life by Chang-Rae Lee.#
Transit: 4, 5 or 6 Lexington Avenue Subway to 86th St., M86 Bus (86th St.), M79 Bus (79th St.), M31 Bus (York Ave.), M15 Bus (1st & 2nd Aves.)
