The 12 Eggs of Easter The 12 Eggs of Easter By Joyce Mellott & Mary Jo Corrado
A Read-Aloud Book
March, 2016
Written by Joyce Mellott Illustrated by Mary Jo Corrado
The 12 Eggs of Easter A Read-Aloud Book
First printing in March, 2016 Alex woke up hungry. It
~~~~~~ was still dark outside. The sun was Joyce Mellott used the “Resurrection Eggs” activity, easily not awake yet. Alex wondered if the found online, as inspiration for writing this book. Joyce is the Education & Curriculum Coordinator for City Easter Bunny already left her Easter Gospel Mission’s Whiz Kids Tutoring & Mentoring basket hidden in the garden. Program in Cincinnati, Ohio. Still in her pajamas, Alex tip- toed down the hall and peeked into the living room. The TV was on. It gave everything an odd, flickering
Mary Jo Corrado continues as a Whiz Kids tutor and glow that made things in the room mentor. She uses her artistic gift to illustrate Whiz Kids dance around. She carefully looked books as her way of sharing the story of Jesus. ~~~~~~ around and saw her older brother, Matt, asleep on the couch. He had Other Whiz Kids books collaborated by Joyce Mellott and Mary Jo Corrado: fallen asleep watching videos again. Good News! The Christmas Story Page 1 It wasn’t that Alex was afraid of the dark house. She just did not want to take the chance of scaring away the Alex moved up next to the couch Easter Bunny. She quietly walked to the and made a soft noise. Then she made kitchen door and looked in. There on a louder noise. Finally, Matt opened his the table sat a big basket filled with eyes. plastic eggs! “I’m hungry,” Alex said. “So what?” groaned Matt. “Why did you wake me?” “Will you make me something to eat?” “No! Go in the kitchen and find something to eat yourself, if you’re so hungry.” And after saying that, Matt rolled over. “Hmmph. Okay, I will. Just “Oh, good. The Easter Bunny has watch me,” Alex mumbled. already come,” Alex whispered to herself. “It won’t hurt if I take just one of the eggs and eat the candy inside.”
Page 2 Page 3 Matt explained - #1 Jesus rode into the town of Jerusalem on a common donkey. He did not ride in like a king because He Alex took a plastic egg with a #1 wanted to show everyone that He came on it. When she opened it, a small toy in peace. donkey fell out instead of candy. Alex When Matt was finished thought hard about why a toy donkey explaining, he barked at his sister, was in the egg, but she couldn’t solve “Okay? Now go away.” the puzzle. Alex was still puzzled, but she was Alex returned to the couch with still hungry. She went back to the the egg and the donkey. kitchen for Easter candy. “Hey, Matt, why is there a donkey in this Easter egg instead of candy?” Matt yawned. He looked at Alex. #2 He looked at the egg. He looked at Alex again. “You won’t let me sleep She opened egg #2. Still no until you know, so I will explain it to candy. This time she found little you. This is the first egg of Easter.” leaves folded up in the egg.
Page 4 Page 5 “Matt, wake up! Now there are Alex imagined herself green leaves in this egg.” welcoming Jesus to town. Matt rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. He was awake now. “The leaves are a symbol for palm branches,” Matt said. Alex looked confused. In his best grown-up voice, Matt said, “A ‘symbol’ is a small picture or item that reminds us of something else.” He continued, “These leaves are a symbol for palm branches.”
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, crowds of people praised Him. They took clean branches from palm trees and laid them on the dirt road so He would not get dirty. “Nice,” Alex nodded. “What happened next?”
Page 6 Page 7 Matt frowned at all of his sister’s Matt went on with the story. questions, but he secretly enjoyed telling Alex the story of Easter with the They found someone who knew twelve eggs. He learned the story just Jesus, someone who called himself a last week in church. Now he felt grown- friend of Jesus. His name was Judas. up telling the story to his little sister. The town leaders talked Judas into pointing out Jesus to them so they could The leaders of Jerusalem heard how arrest Him. They promised Judas popular Jesus was with the people. something and he agreed.
They didn’t like Jesus. They were afraid Alex was surprised. “Why would Jesus would take power away from Judas do that to his friend? What did them. So they came up with a way to get they promise him?” rid of Jesus. “Go and get the next egg and find “Get rid of Jesus! That’s terrible! out,” Matt told Alex with a grin. What did they do?” cried Alex. “Shhh! Don’t get all upset. You’ll wake the whole house,” warned Matt. “If #3 you will be quiet, I will tell you more.” Alex nodded with her finger to her Alex ran and came back to Matt lips. with the egg #3. Her eyes got big when she saw a coin inside.
Page 8 Page 9 “You mean Judas gave up his #4 friend for money? What a mean thing to do.” Alex opened the fourth egg and found “They promised him 30 silver a piece of flat bread inside. Matt saw the coins to help them arrest Jesus, and question on Alex’s face. He continued the story: Judas agreed.”
Judas and eleven other closest friends of Jesus, called disciples, got together one night and had a meal. Jesus washed all of his friends’ feet to show them how much He loved them all.
Now Alex was frowning. Matt decided to tell her about a happier time when Jesus ate a meal with all twelve of his closest friends. Even Judas was there. “Let’s go get the fourth egg,” Matt said, and he followed Alex into the “Wow,” Alex thought to herself as she kitchen this time. pictured Jesus washing her feet.
Page 10 Page 11 Later Jesus broke off a piece of bread and told his disciples to remember it as His body. Next He passed around a Jesus said to His disciples, cup and told them to drink from it to remember Him. They knew that “I give you a new something must be wrong. command: love each other. Jesus told them that this was their You must love each other as I last supper together. He was going to be have loved you.” arrested that night. He even told them [John 13:34] that one of them was disloyal and would (International Children’s Bible, ICB) soon give Him up to the soldiers. After supper that night, Jesus went “You mean that Judas guy?” asked Alex. up a hill to a garden to pray. He did not “That’s right,” answered Matt. want to be arrested and die, but He would do whatever God wanted. The twelve disciples did not want to It was in the garden that night believe Jesus. How did He know? Jesus that Judas signaled to some soldiers. He explained that God, His Father, told pointed out Jesus to them by kissing Him Him it would happen just like He said. on His cheek. His enemies in town would come to get rid of Jesus.
Page 12 Page 13 “When the soldiers arrested #5 Jesus, His closest friend, Peter, took a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear!” Matt quickly picked up the fifth ”Way to go, Peter! Save Jesus!” egg and handed it to Alex before she Alex exclaimed. could ask more questions. She “No, Alex.” Matt corrected her by opened it and gasped. There was a saying, “Jesus did not like or want small plastic sword inside. violence. He was against fighting. He Matt took the sword and swished stopped Peter and healed the it through the air. He had Alex’s full soldier’s ear right there. Then He attention. quietly went away with the soldiers.” Matt went on, “Jesus was accused for things He never did, but the leaders lied and talked the Roman judge into sending Jesus to die on a cross.”
“But they didn’t kill Jesus. He’s alive. He loves me,” Alex declared with a firm shake of her head.
Page 14
Page 15 “That’s right,” Matt agreed. “Jesus Egg #6 held a thorny twig twisted into loves all of us so much that He was a crown. ~~~ “Since Jesus was called willing to die for us so we could be “King,” they put a crown of thorns on saved from our sins. But don’t worry. His head to mock and hurt Him.” Jesus told His disciples that three Egg #7 had a tiny cross. ~~~ “Jesus days after He died, He would come had to drag a heavy wooden cross back.” through Jerusalem and up a hill.” Alex looked at the rest of the eggs like she didn’t trust them. “I am afraid to open any more eggs,” she said softly.
Matt saw the look on Alex’s face and decided to explain the next four eggs quickly.
#7 #8 #9 #6 Alex felt so bad that she wished she could have helped Jesus.
Page 16 Page 17 Egg #8 held 3 nails. ~~~ “Jesus was crucified on the cross. That means His Matt told Alex that in those days, hands and feet were nailed to the cross people who died were washed, until His death.” wrapped in a clean cloth, and sealed in a cave-like tomb, or grave. Egg #9 smelled sour. It had a sponge soaked in vinegar. ~~~ “When Jesus Mary, the mother of Jesus, and hung on the cross, He was thirsty. The other women washed Jesus’ body with mean soldiers put vinegar on His lips instead of water.” water and sweet-smelling herbs and spices. Then they wrapped Him in a By this time, Alex had tears in her linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb given eyes. to them by a rich friend.
Alex turned away with her head down. #10 Matt told her with a smile, “Look, Alex. There are two more eggs. This The tenth egg held a piece of story isn’t over yet.” white linen cloth.
Page 18 Page 19 Matt opened egg #11 and “It’s empty!” Alex said in surprise. showed Alex the rock inside. “That’s right! Jesus was resurrected!” laughed Matt. “After three days, God raised Jesus back #11 from the grave, just like He promised. They found the boulder rolled away, “Jesus’ tomb was tightly closed even though it seemed impossible. and sealed by a large, heavy boulder The tomb was empty, just like this rolled in front of the opening. It took egg. There was an angel by the empty a lot of soldiers to roll the rock into tomb who spoke to them.” place. It was too heavy to move again. Then soldiers guarded the tomb to keep people away. But guess what!?!”
“What?” asked Alex with hope.
Matt opened the last egg. “Don’t be afraid. You are looking
for Jesus from Nazareth, the one who
was killed on a cross. He has risen from
#12 death. He is not here.” [Mark 16:6] (International Children’s Bible, ICB)
Page 20 Page 21 Matt continued.
Jesus came back and spoke again to His closest friends before He went into Heaven. He gave all of us the Holy Spirit so we can live again with Him forever in Heaven…if we just have faith and believe.
“Grandma believed in Jesus. Is she in Heaven now?” asked Alex. “Yes, Mom said Grandma is in …and thank you, Jesus!” Heaven.”
After thinking a moment, Alex said with a smile, “I like these eggs even better than candy eggs.” Alex looked out the kitchen window. The sun had come up and colored the sky pink with light. It was Easter morning.
“Happy Easter, Alex,” Matt said. Alex replied, “Happy Easter…
Page 22 Page 23 GLOSSARY OF BIBLE HISTORY & VOCABULARY
1. Jerusalem – the “holiest of holy” cities in the Bible; today it is the capital city of Israel in the Middle East and considered the point where Africa, Asia, and Europe meet. (page 5)
2. disciple (disciples) – a follower or student of Jesus and his teaching; Jesus had 12 disciples: Andrew, Bartholomew Nathanael, James the older and James the younger, John, Judas, Jude, Matthew, Peter, Phillip, Simon, and Thomas (page. 11)
3. mock – tease; make fun of in a hurtful way (page 17)
4. Roman – someone or something from the city of Rome (in Italy); Jesus lived in a land that was ruled by the emperor of Rome. (page 15)
5. crucify (crucified) – an act of punishment for criminals 2,000 years ago. To be crucified meant to have one’s hands and feet nailed to a wooden cross and left hanging. (page 18)
6. resurrect (resurrected) – to rise from death; return from the grave. Jesus was resurrected by God to show us that we can also live again in Heaven. (page 21)
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