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Bunny's Big Surprise

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Hardcover
$16.99 US
8.4"W x 10.3"H x 0.47"D   | 14 oz | 36 per carton
On sale Jan 07, 2020 | 32 Pages | 9781580896849
Age 2-5 years | Up to Kindergarten
Reading Level: Lexile AD490L | Fountas & Pinnell J
Bunny is hopping for joy! He's found an egg perfect for Easter decorating. But when it starts hatching, Bunny is in for a big surprise...

At home in the Georgia wetlands, Bunny is thrilled to find a surprise egg, and he's quick to decorate it just in time for Easter. After all, the egg isn't Goose's, Heron's, or Osprey's. The egg begins to move, shake, and crack--what could it be? 
 
This sweet, Easter story with a wetlands twist, is the perfect addition to any springtime collection. 
A bunny boy finds a large egg to decorate for Easter, with an astonishing revelation when the egg hatches. In his light blue sweater, the charming bunny looks like a distant relative of Peter Rabbit. He is outside by himself, collecting eggs in his Easter basket for painting later. When Bunny finds a single, large egg near the edge of a lake, he unsuccessfully tries to find the creature that laid the egg. He questions a goose, a heron, and an osprey, finally taking the huge egg home to paint as an Easter egg. When the decorated egg hatches, a surprise emerges—a baby alligator, although the little rabbit isn't sure what sort of critter this might be. Bunny returns the baby to the lake where he found the egg, and a page turn reveals a mother alligator with four babies swimming nearby. The lost baby alligator jumps in the lake to rejoin its family, and the mother swims away, carrying the five babies in her mouth. The simple text includes repeated elements and a winning sense of dramatic pacing as the alligator angle of the plot is revealed. Appealing watercolor illustrations strike a satisfying balance between the cuddly bunny and the slightly scary mother alligator with yellow eyes and a mouthful of pointed teeth. A fresh and entertaining take on the bunny-and-Easter egg theme.
Kirkus Reviews


When Bunny discovers a large egg “at the water’s edge,” he places it into his Easter basket and attempts to reunite it with its parent. But after Goose, Heron, and Osprey all deny ownership of the egg, Bunny takes it home and paints it for Easter, dreaming of holiday chicks hatching—he’s in for a scaly shock when the egg’s inhabitant finally reveals itself. Naturalistic watercolor illustrations set the stage for the expressive Bunny, whose eyebrows and blue sweatshirt set him apart from his unclothed compatriots. A straightforward, rhythmic adventure (“The eyes did not look like the eyes of an Easter chick. The snout did not look like the beak of an Easter chick”) for readers seeking more than fluffy Easter fare.
—Publishers Weekly
Phyllis exhibited artistic talent at the age of two and a half when she presented her mother with a drawing of a butterfly, followed by a man selling peanuts at a peanut stand. She was anxious to follow her older brother and sister to school in Stratford, Connecticut, where she was soon writing poems and stories to illustrate and give to family and friends.

As a child she was always curious about nature and enjoyed exploring in the woods behind her home. The Limbacher house was always filled with pets and an occasional wild, orphaned animal.
Phyllis was a voracious reader and loved her town library where she selected stacks of books for summer reading. She would often climb onto a branch of an old chestnut tree outside the library to read a book and study the detailed art of one her favorite illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter.

After graduating with honors from high school, Phyllis attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she received a B.F.A. as an illustration major. She spent her senior year in Rome as a European Honor Student. For her senior thesis she wrote and illustrated an eastern European folktale for children titled Sasha.

Phyllis has worked as a designer for Hallmark and was the assistant art director for Hopkins Art Center at Dartmouth College after her graduation from RISD. She was a freelance graphic designer for over twenty-five years, doing everything from logos to opera and ballet promotion pieces.
She never lost sight of her original dream of becoming an author/illustrator, however, and in 1995 her first children's book, Counting on Calico, was published. Since then she has published several other stories ranging from pets and wildlife to ethnic tales.

The North Royalton Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (suburban Cleveland, Ohio) proudly incorporated illustrations from Ms. Tildes' books Animals in Camouflage and Eye Guess in the Children's area of their new facility. A large mural and custom interactive play panels serve to delight and educate young people in this backyard wildlife themed space.

For many years, Phyllis lived with her family in Connecticut. They have also lived in Nottingham, England, and enjoy traveling to exotic places like the rain forests of Costa Rica. They live in Savannah, Georgia, where Phyllis enjoys birdwatching, gardening, writing, and expanding her artistic abilities. View titles by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
One day Bunny found a big egg at the water's edge. He put it in his Easter basket. The egg barely fit next to Bunny's clover, carrots, and paints.
First, Bunny asked Goose, "Is this your egg?" 
"I'm afraid not," Goose said, and waddled away.

About

Bunny is hopping for joy! He's found an egg perfect for Easter decorating. But when it starts hatching, Bunny is in for a big surprise...

At home in the Georgia wetlands, Bunny is thrilled to find a surprise egg, and he's quick to decorate it just in time for Easter. After all, the egg isn't Goose's, Heron's, or Osprey's. The egg begins to move, shake, and crack--what could it be? 
 
This sweet, Easter story with a wetlands twist, is the perfect addition to any springtime collection. 

Praise

A bunny boy finds a large egg to decorate for Easter, with an astonishing revelation when the egg hatches. In his light blue sweater, the charming bunny looks like a distant relative of Peter Rabbit. He is outside by himself, collecting eggs in his Easter basket for painting later. When Bunny finds a single, large egg near the edge of a lake, he unsuccessfully tries to find the creature that laid the egg. He questions a goose, a heron, and an osprey, finally taking the huge egg home to paint as an Easter egg. When the decorated egg hatches, a surprise emerges—a baby alligator, although the little rabbit isn't sure what sort of critter this might be. Bunny returns the baby to the lake where he found the egg, and a page turn reveals a mother alligator with four babies swimming nearby. The lost baby alligator jumps in the lake to rejoin its family, and the mother swims away, carrying the five babies in her mouth. The simple text includes repeated elements and a winning sense of dramatic pacing as the alligator angle of the plot is revealed. Appealing watercolor illustrations strike a satisfying balance between the cuddly bunny and the slightly scary mother alligator with yellow eyes and a mouthful of pointed teeth. A fresh and entertaining take on the bunny-and-Easter egg theme.
Kirkus Reviews


When Bunny discovers a large egg “at the water’s edge,” he places it into his Easter basket and attempts to reunite it with its parent. But after Goose, Heron, and Osprey all deny ownership of the egg, Bunny takes it home and paints it for Easter, dreaming of holiday chicks hatching—he’s in for a scaly shock when the egg’s inhabitant finally reveals itself. Naturalistic watercolor illustrations set the stage for the expressive Bunny, whose eyebrows and blue sweatshirt set him apart from his unclothed compatriots. A straightforward, rhythmic adventure (“The eyes did not look like the eyes of an Easter chick. The snout did not look like the beak of an Easter chick”) for readers seeking more than fluffy Easter fare.
—Publishers Weekly

Author

Phyllis exhibited artistic talent at the age of two and a half when she presented her mother with a drawing of a butterfly, followed by a man selling peanuts at a peanut stand. She was anxious to follow her older brother and sister to school in Stratford, Connecticut, where she was soon writing poems and stories to illustrate and give to family and friends.

As a child she was always curious about nature and enjoyed exploring in the woods behind her home. The Limbacher house was always filled with pets and an occasional wild, orphaned animal.
Phyllis was a voracious reader and loved her town library where she selected stacks of books for summer reading. She would often climb onto a branch of an old chestnut tree outside the library to read a book and study the detailed art of one her favorite illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter.

After graduating with honors from high school, Phyllis attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she received a B.F.A. as an illustration major. She spent her senior year in Rome as a European Honor Student. For her senior thesis she wrote and illustrated an eastern European folktale for children titled Sasha.

Phyllis has worked as a designer for Hallmark and was the assistant art director for Hopkins Art Center at Dartmouth College after her graduation from RISD. She was a freelance graphic designer for over twenty-five years, doing everything from logos to opera and ballet promotion pieces.
She never lost sight of her original dream of becoming an author/illustrator, however, and in 1995 her first children's book, Counting on Calico, was published. Since then she has published several other stories ranging from pets and wildlife to ethnic tales.

The North Royalton Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (suburban Cleveland, Ohio) proudly incorporated illustrations from Ms. Tildes' books Animals in Camouflage and Eye Guess in the Children's area of their new facility. A large mural and custom interactive play panels serve to delight and educate young people in this backyard wildlife themed space.

For many years, Phyllis lived with her family in Connecticut. They have also lived in Nottingham, England, and enjoy traveling to exotic places like the rain forests of Costa Rica. They live in Savannah, Georgia, where Phyllis enjoys birdwatching, gardening, writing, and expanding her artistic abilities. View titles by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

Excerpt

One day Bunny found a big egg at the water's edge. He put it in his Easter basket. The egg barely fit next to Bunny's clover, carrots, and paints.
First, Bunny asked Goose, "Is this your egg?" 
"I'm afraid not," Goose said, and waddled away.