Easter by Gail Gibbons

Easter
by Gail Gibbons

Ages : 5-8

It was in about.com that I came across a list of recommended books for Easter, and picked this one with the selfsame title, by Gail Gibbons. I was very curious to see how the subject of Jesus' crucifixion and subsequent resurrection would be dealt with from the pov of a young child, and I am pleased with what we saw and read. Winkie has been asking me all week what Easter is all about and I've been putting off the explanation till the time we could read about it. Last night, it happened. And it was a spellbinding 15 minutes. He remembered Jesus from our story books from Christmas last year, and was very intrigued as to why He had so many enemies. He was fascinated when I told him about some of the miracles He had performed and his downcast face, with a 100 questions written on it, was enough proof of the effect of the pages on the crucifixion. And just when he thought that was it, we turned the page over and were greeted with the happy, joyous account of the resurrection. That really was the epitome of the book for him. Overnight he has become familiar with phrases like Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. And suddenly, everyday of this Holy Week becomes more significant to him as he relates it to a point in the story of the last few days of Jesus.

However, the book doesn't just stop with Christ's story. It moves on to tell us how Easter is celebrated around the world, what were its origins (the word Eoster), what is the significance of eggs and the egg hunts which are so popular today and so on. In all, there is a wealth of information, packed into a very reader friendly format, and I stood as much to gain from it, as my son. The world has a maddening pace all its own, and its wonderful to have a week like this to connect to a part of history that is so ancient and mysterious and deep and joyous and sorrowful, and see yourself as part of a whole, even at the level of a child.

Wishing all you readers a very Happy Easter! May hope resurrect in our hearts and light the path to the road ahead!