The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (Sandpiper Books)

DuBose Heyward's 1939 classic, "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes," is surprisingly modernist given the time period in which it was written. When so much of the world was (and is) focused on heroes and men in general, what a gentle and lovely surprise to come across a book which celebrates the rabbit--a lady rabbit!--who becomes the Easter bunny.
With elements of Aesop peeping in and out of the text (not the least of which includes the fable of the tortoise and the hare), Heyward manages to make a rabbit with 21 little children sound not only sane, but brilliant. The Country Bunny (or Little Cottontail Mother, as she is called throughout) gives her children each small chores to keep them busy, contribute to the overall quality of their shared family life, and make them feel like valued members of the group. They grow up to be sweet, cheerful, polite, and industrious bunnies, and the Country Bunny uses their fine breeding to great effect to achieve an audition for the role of Easter Bunny.
Heyward's text is inimitably enriched by the sweet pictures of artist Marjorie Flack. The bunnies are plush and adorable, the scenery idyllic, and the colors bright as Technicolor. This is a trip down Memory Lane, even for those who didn't grow up with the book, and a future memory-maker for any child who loves Easter and Easter bunnies.

This was my favorite book when I was little & I still love it today. It's a story about Easter & the Five (yes, five) Easter Bunnies who deliver baskets of eggs to children all around the world. These rich, fast & beautiful jackrabbits & hares laugh at the little country girl rabbit for thinking that she could ever become an Easter Bunny. It's about how girls, even little country rabbit girls, don't just have to grow up & get married & have babies, they can be special in other ways just like anybody else. And if they do grow up & marry & have babies, that doesn't mean that's all they can do; they can achieve more than that as well. The other rabbits who think that looks & speed is what it's all about don't realize that you also need to be kind, considerate, caring & wise as well. I don't completely believe that these attitudes are completely dated; you can still find them in lesser degrees anywhere. I think it's a great book with a modern outlook for girls & boys everywhere.
I read this book recently to my nephews. I don't think my nephews really believed this story about there being Five Easter Bunnies but I do!

My mother read this book to me when I was very young, about 3-4 yrs. old. I didn't remember the name of the book but I remembered when the bunny gave the special Easter egg to the sick little boy. I remembered the beautiful pictures. Then when I taught pre-school I made a secne at a book fair when I screeched & got excited about seeing that book again. Needless to say I bought it and shared it with my mother who smiled at seeing it again after so many years. I have my own now & can't read it aloud to my kids at school cause tears course down my face. Such a beautiful story about perservance and the power of a dream.

If you want to read a great book with a great lesson this is it. I bought this and read it to my 6 year old. She loved the story- it really stressed many points about being kind and wise as well as never giving up on your dreams. Very appropriate for many ages and one that we will read over many times and learn new lessons regarding helping out, kindness, caring.... It is great book for adults too.... especially parents like myself that often do things for my child that I should be teaching my child to do herself to teach responsibility. This is a great book to have on the shelf.

This is absolutely the best Easter Bunny book I have seen. It is about a little girl bunny in the country, who dreams of becoming an Easter Bunny. The story and illustrations are lovely and well-developed. Most of the (non-religious) Easter books out there are pretty simple, and some use illustrations from previous books (like Happy Easter, Mouse!). Not that that is a bad thing, but this is a book I remembered from my childhood, if that tells you anything. It has a "Velveteen Rabbit" character to it that is very charming, and I was so happy to find it for my son. In fact, if you are a mother bunny, and anyone has ever scoffed at your dreams and ambitions because you are "just" a mother, this book may find a place in your heart, too.

Forget that this is a feminist ballad. Forget that it is the story of a working mother who overcomes poverty and discrimination to achieve the ultimate professional success. Forget that the subject matter was ahead of its time. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes is a delightful story and a beautiful book. I read a library copy of this book ONE time when I was a little girl. More than 30 years later when I saw the book for sale in a furniture store of all places, I had to have it. The illustrations triggered memories that were vague, yet vivid. When my husband saw it, he felt the same way. He had read it as a child as well. We bought it and years later our daughter loved it. We've read it over and over and even took it to school to share with her class. It's a book that belongs in every child's personal library. It's not just a lovely children's book, there's something profound and almost spiritual about the story and the illustrations. A perfect delight!

My great Grandmother bought this book for my brother and I when I was born, and my mother read it to us on Easter Eave every year with out fail. I can recall the story word for word, and now read it to my youngest brother as well. Traditions are a great thing to have in a family, and with tradition, comes fond memories. It has been a while since I have celebrated Easter with the innocence of a child like mind, but every year I recall the story of the Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes and wish I could be 7 years old again. This is a story of dedication, and devotion, two things that children need to learn early on in life. I am glad to have such fond childhood memories, and will cherish them always. I plan to continue the tradition of reading this book to my chilldren on Easter Eave, and hope that my children will continue to do the same.

My daughter, 4, has always been a stickler for details and is frustrated with most picture books that just tell a simple story about the day of Easter, hiding eggs. She wanted to know how did the Easter bunny become just that! I poured through many books but found little or no backstory. Until this book.

Not only is the heroine a mother, but boldly blazes a path in the male dominated business of Easter. It explains that it's actually a team of rabbits, encouraging good moral traits. My daughter drank this up and is finally satisfied with her Easter bunny questions. While a long story, and detailed, it's plot is simple and characters few so that even the youngest can follow. Another wonderful aspect is the language. Unlike modern books which are jarring dialogue (or mindless) with no rhythm when spoken aloud, this book is from another epoch when people still used lovely words that evoke delightful pictures and in a flowing pattern. It is a delight to read 3x a day or more. And to see her sigh at the end, satisfied, which so many of her other books lack ability to do, is the best part.

So if your looking for an untraditional twist with greater detail to the classic Easter Bunny stories, give this a try. My only issue is the small number of illustrations as it is geared not as a picture book but early reader.

I read this book when I was six and enjoyed it very much. But when I re-read it over 30 years later, I loved it with all my heart. This is a wonderful story about a mother bunny who never lets go of her dream. It's a wonderful story for showing the love between mother and child and for inspiring bunnies (and people!) to never give up. And to think that the author did this without being "preachy". I can't think of a better book to read to your children or give to your niece/nephew/grandchild for Easter. Or maybe just read for yourself.

I am 66 and this was my favorite book as a child. An Easter theme as well as a great message for today's girls- work hard and you can achieve anything!