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2003
Easter Egg Roll

 

The White House Easter Egg Roll
Text by C.L. Arbelbide
Illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson
Courtesy of the White House Historical Association

Continued...

Even the White House pets came to play,
Joining the fun on egg-rolling day.

Dashing about, bringing laughter and joy,
Was President Harding’s dog, Laddie Boy.

From his favorite spot, the wicker stand,
Performing tricks and shaking hands.

Grace Coolidge had many stories to tell,
About Rebecca Raccoon, her animal pal.

A furry ringed tail and a mask she wore,
Few children had seen a raccoon before.

Look! A chocolate bunny standing five feet tall,
Lady Bird Johnson’s gift, shared by one and all.

The next year Pat Nixon brought a special guest,
A giant Easter Bunny, and children were impressed.

Ever since that visit, each and every year,
The White House Easter Bunny on this day appears.

Chefs in tall white hats prepare for egg-rolling play,
They have to boil and color thousands of eggs today.

Boiling and boiling – steam rises in the air,
Coloring and dying – hard-boiled eggs everywhere.

Using every basket, every pan, every pot,
Filling the White House kitchen with colored polka dots!

Children, side by side, color and create,
Taking turns to draw and to decorate.

Yellow eggs, green eggs, colored eggs galore,
Flowered eggs, striped eggs, all of this and more.

Bushy-tailed squirrels, high up in the tree,
Watch excited children with curiosity.

Hide-and-seek, hide-and-seek – eggs in the hay,
“I found one, I found one, to take home today!”

Egg-rolling day was ending? Kids could not believe.
Hadn’t it just started? Now it’s time to leave?

Did they have a good time? Egg-rollers gave their reply,
“Let’s do this every day, except Christmas and Fourth of July.”

Then, shouting in voices heard loud and clear,
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. President! We’ll be back next year!”

"Look! A chocolate bunny standing five feet tall"

 

 

 

 

 

"Chefs in tall white hats prepare for egg-rolling play"