THE EASTER BUNNY'S ASSISTANT

This super-simple story with bold, cartoon-style illustrations features just two characters, the Easter Bunny and a skunk, and one joke: The overly enthusiastic skunk can’t control his excitement, leading repeatedly to unpleasantly odiferous results.

The Easter Bunny clearly explains the process for dyeing Easter eggs, with a few numbered steps and easy instructions in speech balloons. The skunk releases his stench at each step until the Easter Bunny sends him outside. After pleading to be reinstated as the Easter Bunny’s assistant, the skunk is allowed to help deliver the finished eggs, but the bunny has protected himself with a clothespin on his nose. The story isn't much; all the fun is in Thomas’ cleverly rendered facial expressions, body language and Saturday-morning-cartoon pacing. The simple plot and bold, heavily outlined illustrations, as well as the stinky-funny humor will appeal to kids in the early elementary grades as well as to older children with limited reading ability. The directions for making Easter eggs are repeated in numbered format on the last spread.

An amusing approach to a popular springtime craft, presented with a spray of not-so-subtle humor.