The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

By Du Bose Heyward

Pictures by Marjorie Hack

Copyright 1939

Happy Easter!  Today many young children will be searching the grass for Easter Eggs, or finding baskets full of goodies in their homes.  They may think that one Easter Bunny has traveled the world delivering the baskets, but The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes teaches otherwise.

This book was ahead of its time.  It is a surprisingly feminist tale of a little brown girl bunny from the country who aspires to become one of the five Easter Bunnies that deliver eggs to children all around the world on Easter Day.  She shares her aspirations with other rabbits and is laughed at.  The big white bunnies with fine houses and fancy clothes and the jack rabbits with long legs try to set her in her place and tell her to go back to the country and eat a carrot.

Our little Country Bunny grows up, marries, and has 21 children.  Imagine how busy that rabbit was with 21 babies to take care of!  Her children are raised to be kind, responsible young rabbits who love and respect their mother.  They are taught to use their natural talents and abilities to help run the busy household and are quite self-sufficient.

One day, all rabbits are called to gather at the Palace of the Easter Eggs.  One of the Easter Rabbits is growing too old and slow so a replacement is needed.  The Country Bunny gathered her clan, thinking that she was just an old mother bunny now and wouldn’t be considered for the coveted job.  Wise Old Grandfather Bunny tested all those gathered, and in the end, is most impressed with the mother bunny’s qualities.  To the surprise of the other rabbits, the Country Bunny is chosen for the coveted position.

The rest of the book details the adventures and trials the Bunny faces as she delivers her first Easter Eggs.  It is not an easy job, but her strength and courage get her through the night.

A person’s worth is not based on wealth, social status, race, or gender.  You don’t have to be the biggest or the fastest.  You don’t have to be popular or charismatic.  You don’t have to be a man and you don’t have to be white.  Those who work hard and persevere and treat others with kindness will one day be rewarded.  Those are big lessons from a little children’s book!