When Mr. Whiskers learns that his old friend Seth, who runs the general store in Cranberryport, is thinking of closing up shop and moving south, the New England villager is dismayed. Maggie's grandmother is also dismayed, as two of her friends are likewise thinking of moving, as they find the countryside in winter too difficult to navigate. Fortunately, a solution is found, in the rooms above Seth's store, and the Cranberryport villagers thinking of leaving decide to stay. The story concludes with a very happy Easter, as the children hunt for eggs and Mr. Whiskers dresses up as the Easter Bunny...
Originally published in 1990, Cranberry Easter was the seventh entry in Wende and Harry Devlin's Cranberryport picture-book series, devoted to the adventures of Mr. Whiskers, Maggie and Grandmother, in their New England village next to a cranberry bog. My library doesn't hold every title in the series, so it is only the fifth I have read thus far, of the fifteen books in the collection. In any case, it was an engaging story, one which emphasizes community solidarity - neighbors helping neighbors. Like many of the other titles in the series, it has a cranberry recipe at the rear, this time for Cranberry Cobbler. Recommended to fans of the Devlins' Cranberryport books, and to picture-book readers looking for lighthearted stories set at Easter.