Paul is delighted to be given the task of looking after his class' pet rabbit, Sam, over the Easter holiday in this vintage picture-book from 1979. All goes well at first, as Sam's cage is placed on top of the dryer at home, and Paul happily cares for him. But when Paul gets careless, running off and leaving Sam outside of his cage because he (Paul) wants to look at his neighbor's new bicycle, the rabbit goes missing. Will Paul ever find Sam again? And what will he tell his teacher and classmates, if he doesn't...?

Although I didn't realize it when I picked it up, A Rabbit for Easter is the second picture-book about Paul from author/illustrator team Carol and Donald Carrick, following upon their earlier Paul's Christmas Birthday. I will have to see about tracking down that other title. In any case, this was a simple but engaging book, one featuring a realistic storyline that addresses themes such as responsibility and the proper care of animals. Despite the title, it really has nothing at all to do with Easter, save for being set at Easter time. The accompanying artwork has a vintage feeling to it, and had some really lovely moments, particularly in the depiction of the animals - Sam, and Paul's cat, Fluffy. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about caring for our animal companions, as well as to those who appreciate vintage picture-book illustration. ( )