“One day a little country girl bunny with brown skin and a little cotton-ball of a tail said, ‘Some day I shall grow up to be an Easter Bunny: –you wait and see!’”
I’m bringing back a classic Easter book here, guys. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward, which was first published in 1939. This is not only one of my favorite Easter books, but also one of my favorite picture books in general from my childhood. My sister and I would go over to my grandmother’s place and have her read it to us repeatedly. It didn’t matter if it was Easter or not, it was the book we asked for. We even fought over who got my Grandmother’s copy just last summer (we’re high school and college students). This just goes to show how the books of your childhood can leave a mark.
Part of this book’s appeal for me as a child was, to be honest, the bunnies and the golden shoes (What can I say? I like my shoes). On the surface, this book is about a cute momma bunny (of 21 little bunnies) who wants to be the next Easter Bunny. The country momma bunny is named Cottontail, and she enters to be the next Easter Bunny. All the other rich white bunnies laugh at her and tell her that she can’t do it, but she is determined to prove them wrong. For kids, the idea of an Easter Bunny that wears golden shoes to deliver their Easter goodies is just so much fun, and you just can’t go wrong with bunnies.
I’ve recently gone back and reread it and I was shocked by its deeper meaning, and how wonderfully it is crafted for both children and parents. Not only is this a cute book about Easter Bunnies but it speaks to race relations, social standings, and gender roles. Cottontail is not only a brown, country bunny but she is a lady and a mother, at that. How could she possibly be able to be Easter Bunny? 
This digs into the bigger issues in a very subtle way that is appropriate for small children, but also makes it more interesting for the parents to read. They question her color and class standing, but she overcomes this. They suggest that because she is a woman and a mother, there is no way she could be the Easter Bunny, but she proves them wrong. She never gives up and in the end, she is rewarded for this determination.
This is one of the sweetest picture books out there and my favorite Easter book. It’s a beautiful story of motherhood and following your dreams.
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