Playtime Express with the ­Easter Bunny

PreS-K–All aboard! In this latest by Sutton (A Merry Little Mystery), the Playtime Express is ready for departure, pulling Easter egg cars with an eclectic troop of toy passengers: a speckled dinosaur, tiny teddy bear, and squarish lion. “Clickety-clack! Off we go! Let’s go fast, and then go slow! Topsy turvy—oh, what fun! Our adventure has begun!” As the train passes under a bridge, the toys come alive in Bunnyville. Weaving through dreamy springtime fields, the engine rolls to a halt and the toys disembark to meet the Easter Bunny. Hiding eggs and meeting friends along the way, the toys meander to the Egg Factory, where Easter basket assembling is in full swing. A brief interactive moment invites readers to help cheerful chicks match colorful egg patterns. Baskets brimming with treats are ballooned into the air, sailing above the Playtime Express as the toys climb aboard. Back home, evidence of the deep imaginative play behind Bunnyville lies scattered across the floor. Observant readers may notice someone quietly hinting that the magic of imagination is real. Zivoin’s (Little Orange Pumpkin) digitally rendered illustrations are bright and whimsically spirited, complementing the story’s upbeat couplet rhyme scheme. Though the toys arrive home before dinner, as promised by their crayon scrawled boarding tickets, this Easter adventure is a long journey that risks derailing readers’ attention before the Playtime ­Express returns to the playroom. ­