A Colorful Way to Celebrate Easter: Why Happy Easter, Risen King! Belongs on Your Shelf

Happy Easter, Risen King! by Laura Sassi is the kind of board book that instantly brightens the room, bursting with sunshine through its vivid illustrations and lively, rhyming text. From the very first spread, it pulls children (and the grown-ups reading along) straight into the wonder of Easter. This is a story that doesn’t tiptoe around the Resurrection—it shares the joy of the Resurrection in a way kids can truly feel.

What’s the Story? Let’s Follow the Colors
This playful, rhyming board book follows the Easter morning story from the quiet stillness of dawn all the way to a joyful, can’t-help-but-smile celebration. Along the journey, children are invited to spot colors tucked naturally into every scene—yellow sun, green grass, gray stone, white angel, blue sky, pink blossoms, and more.

---

It feels like a story and a color hunt rolled into one. The color element doesn’t distract from the message; instead, it gently leads young readers through it, helping them connect, remember, and stay fully engaged from page to page.

A Word About the Author: Laura Sassi
Award-winning author Laura Sassi has a gift for making meaningful stories feel light, lyrical, and inviting. Her rhymes flow beautifully, making this a wonderful choice for reading aloud—whether at home, in a classroom, at church, or during Easter storytime.

She handles the Resurrection with care and reverence while still keeping the tone accessible and joyful for young listeners. That balance is hard to strike, but she does it with ease.

Illustration Station: Gabi Murphy’s Whimsical World
Gabi Murphy’s illustrations are warm, expressive, and full of delightful details. The characters feel friendly and approachable, the animals add extra charm, and the color palette truly shines. Kids will want to linger on each page, pointing things out and discovering something new every time.
​
The illustrations perfectly echo the rhythm and emotion of the text, helping carry both the color theme and the heart of the story.

SEL (and Faith) Element: From Sadness to Celebration
This book gently guides children through a range of emotions—quiet sadness, confusion, surprise, and overflowing joy. It shows kids that it’s okay to feel uncertain and that hope can bloom right where sadness once lived.

From a faith perspective, the Resurrection message is clear, joyful, and reassuring. The focus stays on the good news and the reason Easter is celebrated, making it a meaningful way to share the heart of the holiday with young children.

STEM Tie-In: Learning Through Color
Color identification is the quiet star of this story. Children are practicing observation, naming, and classification skills without even realizing it. They’re learning to connect colors with objects, scenes, and emotions—an important early science and visual literacy skill.
​
It’s a lovely reminder that simple STEM concepts, like color, can be woven seamlessly into storytelling.

Final Thoughts: A Bright Addition to Your Easter Basket
Happy Easter, Risen King! is a joyful blend of faith, learning, and celebration. It’s a fantastic choice for preschool through early elementary readers and works beautifully as a seasonal read-aloud at home, in classrooms, or in children's church.

If you’re looking for an adorable Easter book for toddlers that goes beyond bunnies and baskets and gently points them toward hope, joy, and truth, this one deserves a spot on your shelf.

Want to Win a Copy?
One lucky reader will win a copy of Happy Easter, Risen King! To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post and tell me what your favorite Easter color or Easter tradition is with your kids or students. I’ll announce the winner the first week in February!

BUY ON AMAZON

---

Step into Story: Celebrate Easter in Living Color
If your readers are anything like the children in this story, their excitement doesn’t end when the last page is turned. These handpicked activities invite kids to step further into the joy of Happy Easter, Risen King! through playful learning that blends story, color exploration, STEM thinking, and SEL reflection. Each link below leads to an external resource designed to spark curiosity, encourage conversation, and help young learners celebrate the Easter story in meaningful, hands-on ways.

Meet Author Laura Sassi
​Laura Sassi's Happy Easter, Risen King activity kit pdf
Colorful Resurrection Eggs for Toddlers
A Version of the Jelly Bean Prayer That Relates to Color

*The links in this section will take you to outside websites with activity ideas and resources. I don’t earn anything from items that may be sold there (although most are free) — I’m just sharing ideas I think are worth exploring. As you click around, keep an eye out for sneaky clickbait download buttons or pop-ups and stick with the obvious, kid-friendly links.

Loved this book review?
Please share with your friends. You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter, Join the Adventure, where curiosity and resourcefulness take center stage. Each issue features STEM stories with big feelings that spark curiosity and inspire young readers to explore the world around them while also navigating their own feelings.

Join the Adventure