Easter is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for Peter Easter Frog! Yes, you read that right, Peter Easter Frog, the adorable character and book by the same name, written by Erin Dealey.

I’m sure you remember Erin from Snow Globe Wishes, her wonder-filled, snowy day tale. Well, you’ll be delighted to hear that Erin has delivered another feel-good story—this one full of fun, giggles, and surprise twists.

Peter Frog loves the hippity-happiness of Easter and convinces Turtle, Cow, Sheepdog and Chipmunk that the Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who should have Easter fun. They “hippity, hoppity” and “yippity, yappity,” eggs and basket in hand (er, paw and hoof), until (oh no!) they run into the real Easter Bunny! You know how I hate spoiling endings. But, as Erin has the reputation of being a master of feel-good stories, you just might (maybe) (but I’m not going to say for sure) expect a happy ending.

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        PETER EASTER FROG

written by Erin Dealey, illustrated by G. Brian Karas Caitlyn Caitlyn Dlouhy Books / Atheneum

Here comes Peter Easter Frog, hopping down his favorite log. Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its—wait. Easter FROG?

Peter Easter Frog loves, loves, LOVES Easter, and sharing is caring, AND he’s just as good a hopper as any ol’ rabbit, so he decides to pass out some of his own Easter eggs. Why should Bunny have all the fun, anyway? Turtle, Cow, Dog, and Chipmunk all agree. But what happens when the Easter Bunny finds out?

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Erin is not only the author of a dozen children’s books, she is an actor, teacher, blogger, and motivational speaker. Her talent for getting kids laughing has elevated her to “rock-star status” at elementary and middle grade schools. To get a taste of why she is such a fan favorite, take a look at her video of The Writer’s Rap, where she answers the oft-asked question, “How did you write those books?”

Erin joins us from California, where she lives with her husband and Golden Retriever, Charlie. She’s here to celebrate Peter Easter Frog and tell us what was on her…

Garden Path: Small purple crocus buds have begun peeking out on my garden path. Sunny yellow daffodils have started to bloom. And after a rain, the chorus of tree frogs is magic! (Did I say FROGs?) In the foothills of the Sierra, however, tradition holds that it can’t be Spring until it snows on the dogwood so we’re not planting the vegetable garden just yet. Before it’s time for Peter Easter Frog, we might get some Snow Globe Wishes!

Egg Shells: Usually around Easter, there are colorful patterns on the shells of our eggs, and a few blue and green fingers as well, but not this year. My main egg-dying assistant, now a 2^nd grade teacher, lives several hours away. However, I must recommend our favorite family egg hunt: Searching for Easter eggs in the dark! So much fun—and hilarious. The eggs can pretty much be hidden in plain sight and they are still hard to find. *Note: Be sure the Easter Bunny OR Easter Frog makes a map so the eggs aren’t still there for the dog to find in the morning.

Dog’s Head: Well, I managed to plop an Easter Bonnet on Charlie’s head for a second, and take a photo. Side note: I have many more bonnets in a hat trunk, used for Improv games at the Fine Arts Camp where I head the theater department in summer. Last summer, camp was virtual, so the hats are a bit lonely. Thus, this prompt inspired me to see if I could get some canine cooperation–haha. You be the judge!

Driveway: Deer! My city-dwelling friends LOVE their deer-sightings, but those dainty Bambi creatures would mow my roses down if they could. So I have my eye on them when they wander innocently by. Speaking of my driveway, check out this YouTube video, ROUGH (Ruff!) DRAFTS by Max the Writer Dog. I lined up all my rough drafts down our very long driveway for students to see that yes, indeed, writing is revising.

Wish List: Good health for ALL. Need I say more?

Post-Its: Oh my, you hit paydirt here.

Some have quotes on them, like:

“Writing is erasing.” ~Lin Manuel Miranda

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined. “   ~H.D. Thoreau

Some have notes about upcoming Zoom visits with schools. (See below)

Others mark sections in what was once intended to be a bullet journal but found a much better use as a way to track manuscript submissions, glowing rejections, and YESes.

Schedule: Dear Teachers & Librarians–Bring on the virtual school visits! I’ve been doing lots of PETER EASTER FROG story times, Poetry writing sessions with individual classes (Poetry Month is coming!), zoom assemblies and Family Literacy Nights. Blue Willow Books has invited me to do a P E Frog read-aloud, available for viewing during Easter week. I filmed a reading of DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5, which will be part of Harper Collins’ Earth Day story time playlist. Thankful that students and teachers are reading DEAR EARTH…and doing their part to help Make Earth Day Every Day. And I’m looking forward to celebrating National Kindergarten Day (4/21) by reading K IS FOR KINDERGARTEN (Sleeping Bear / Illus. Joseph Cowman) to awesome PreK/Kinders. Also—fun fact: My birthday is March 29^th.

Mind: Picture book WIPs, manuscript submissions—including a middle grade novel (Fingers crossed!), HUGS (I am now fully vaccinated and in the waiting phase.), gratitude for wonderful author friends like YOU who help share the BookNews in these crazy times, and kindness. Let’s spread a little each day.

Erin, congratulations on being fully vaccinated–and thank you so much for stopping by! I’m hugely grateful for author friends like you as well. So happy, in fact, that I’m doing my first What Was On Giveaway for Peter Easter Frog!

Dear Readers, thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for Peter Easter Frog! A huge congratulations to Carla McClure, who won by retweeting over on Twitter! 

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You can stay in contact with Erin Dealey at erindealey.com, on Twitter @ErinDealey, on Facebook @ErinDealeyAuthor, and Instagram @erindealey.

If you would like to order Peter Easter Frog, click on the book below.

If you would like to order Dear Earth, click on the book below.

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Be sure to stop by again on April 20th, Earth Day, when Patricia Newman will stop by to talk about her book, Planet Ocean, Why We All Need A Healthy Ocean, and tell us What Was on her most exciting scuba dive.

If you would like to know more about me and my writing, please visit sandranickel.com.