Wake Up, It’s Easter!

Mr. Croak, a friendly raven, spreads the word among the animals that Easter has arrived. Though Vicki Vole drops her coffee in fear when she sees him peer down into her den, she quickly recovers and carries the message on to her friend Rob Rabbit. He appears to have a seasonal cold—and still thinks it’s Christmastime, judging by his bedside Advent calendar—but when he hears that it’s Easter, he bounds off to notify the other rabbits. While the verse is occasionally stilted (“To see him little Vicki/ Is really not too glad./ She’s learned from past experience/ That ravens can be bad”), Weldin’s smudgy portraits of joyous animals under spring skies capture the giddiness of the season. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)