A beloved toy stuffed rabbit is rescued by a fairy to be the first Easter Rabbit.
Acting
Burl Ives' grandfatherly warmth carries the whole thing.
Production
That signature Rankin-Bass stop-motion glow you can taste.

Director
Jules Bass
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of six Rankin-Bass Easter specials, because they were determined to own every holiday stop-motion market.
The 'animagic' technique used here—replacement animation with wooden puppets—was the same that made Rudolph a legend, just with way less budget and slightly more existential dread about being unwanted.