The Easter Egg Artists by Adrienne Adams (1976) celebrates the energy and creativity of youth. The first page sets up a subtle drama: will Orson help his parents with painting the hundreds of Easter eggs they decorate each year? As his parents examine his unfinished flower design on an easel in their studio, Orson is playing outside. Father Abbot labels him an immature rabbit. Mother Abbott implies Orson is motivated by recognition. But the story shows that a different kind of task holds Orson’s attention. When he stands on the tail of a plane, on the roof of a house, and at the side of a bridge, Orson’s perseverance is admirable. He is enthusiastic, not about flower designs, but about his own comic Easter eggs. And they’re so popular, his parents must order hundreds more eggs for him to decorate.
Why does the story end with Orson painting a flagpole? Is it because he has grown up, as his parents suggest? Or has Orson discovered joy in tasks that better suit his high energy level and creative vision?
This book is read aloud
online by Laurie on
Safari.
My Picture Book Talk lesson for this story is here.
