Parents searching for a children's Easter holiday special that teaches good lessons, is visually appealing, and that both adults and children will enjoy watching, should check out the 1971 Rankin/Bass production Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Made by the same stop-motion animation team responsible for such other classic holiday tv specials as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jack Frost, this delightful Animagic production deserves a place in any family's home video library.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail – Plot
The Chief Easter Bunny, Colonel Wellington B. Bunny, needs to choose someone to take over the post of Easter Bunny. Although Peter Cottontail has a track record of being irresponsible and fibbing, the Chief Easter Bunny still thinks he is the best choice.
Unfortunately, the evil bunny Irontail demands they hold a contest to see who can deliver the most eggs to earn the right to become Easter Bunny. And after causing Peter to accidentally oversleep and miss Easter, Irontail wins the contest and takes over April Valley.
To save April Valley and Easter, Peter must then use Seymour S. Sassafras' time machine, the Yestermorrowbile (piloted by the French caterpillar Antoine), to travel back in time and try again to win the contest. After some hilarious stops at other holidays (Mother's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, President's Day) during which Peter tries to give eggs themed like those holidays away, Peter finally gives all his eggs away on St. Patrick's Day and wins the contest.
Songs include "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," "The Easter Bunny Never Sleeps," and "If I Could Only Get Back to Yesterday." Character voices viewers may recognize include Danny Kaye as Seymour S. Sassafras, Colonel Wellington B. Bunny, and Antoine; Vincent Price as January Q. Irontail; and Casey Kasem as Peter Cottontail.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail – TV Easter Special Review for Parents
There is no objectionable content, and the villain Irontail is spooky and antagonistic, but not too scary for younger viewers. Children will relate to Peter's struggle to become responsible and stop telling fibs. Parents will be pleased by the lessons the Easter special teaches about taking advantage of second chances to make up for one's mistakes and the importance of never giving up hope.
The silly, gentle humor of the script, the charming visuals, and the quirky characters (including a talking Easter bonnet) hold up after repeated viewings and make this classic television special an Easter treat the whole family will enjoy together.
DVD Extra Features
The 2005 DVD of this stop-motion animation Rankin and Bass Production offers a few family-friendly features, the best being:
- "Peter Rabbit and Other Tales" animated stories, including a sweet version of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit and adaptations of Little Golden Books like Polly's Pet and The Little Red Hen.
- Sing-Along Song versions of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" and other songs from the Easter special, with a bouncing Easter egg to help kids follow the lyrics.
Peter Cottontail Easter Activities for Kids
This Easter holiday special offers a charming view of the work that must be done by the bunnies in April Valley to get ready for Easter, such as mending baskets, painting eggs, and sewing Easter bonnets. Children can pretend they are bunnies living in April Valley and take part in fun Easter activities for kids like:
- Weave Easter baskets from construction paper or decorate wicker Easter baskets.
- Paint their own eggs, designing some with themes fitting other holidays (like Valentine's Day) for fun.
- Carve their own chocolate candy creations from blocks of chocolate or (with adult supervision) melt chocolate candy wafers and use candy molds to make their own chocolate Easter candy.
- Design and mold pretend chocolate candy from brown clay.
- Sew, glue, draw or design their own Easter bonnets.
Related Easter-Themed Books
- Here Comes Peter Cottontail by Golden Books [Golden Books, 2004] is a retelling of the Rankin/Bass Easter holiday special aimed at children ages 4 to 8.
- Children can also read the classic picture book on which the teleplay for this holiday special is based, The Easter Bunny Who Overslept by Priscilla & Otto Friedrich [many updated versions exist, the most recent being the HarperCollins, 2002 one]. In this tale, the Easter Bunny oversleeps, then tries to deliver his Easter eggs on other holidays. Ultimately, Santa Claus provides the solution to his problem.
Viewers of all ages will enjoy this delightful Easter holiday classic. Lovers of Rankin/Bass Animagic television specials will also enjoy a review of The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town. Fans of Peter Cottontail may enjoy a review of the 2005 computer animated sequel Peter Cottontail: The Movie.
Families may also like to read reviews of other animated Easter television specials for children.
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