The First Lady Melania Trump was at the center of one of the most touching moments of the White House Easter Egg Roll when she read aloud the classic children's book "The Runaway Bunny" to the children attending the event, held this Monday in the south lawn of the presidential residence.
It was the 148th edition of this tradition, which this year was marked by a patriotic theme in honor of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, under the slogan America250.
In presenting the book, Melania described it as one of her favorites. "I have here one of my favorite books, The Runaway Bunny. It's a classic. I hope some of you are familiar with it. And I will read it for you," she said before starting the reading.
Then he read aloud: "Once upon a time, there was a little bunny who wanted to escape. So he said to his mother, 'I'm going to escape.' If you escape, said his mother, I will go after you. Because you are my little bunny."
"The Runaway Bunny" was written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, and was first published in 1942. The work tells the story of imaginative play between a little bunny who wants to escape and his mother who promises to always follow him, conveying a message of unconditional maternal love. It has never been out of print and is considered one of the most beloved children's books in Anglo-American literature.
The event brought together between 30,000 and 50,000 visitors selected through a free lottery on Recreation.gov, and offered activities such as an egg race, an egg hunt adapted for children with sensory needs, live music, mini golf, an artificial intelligence station sponsored by Meta, a flight lab, and an exhibition of 150 live chicks from the American Egg Board.
Each family received a commemorative set of five wooden eggs in patriotic colors —red, white, blue, gold, and multicolor— featuring the presidential seal and the printed signatures of Donald Trump and Melania Trump, a tradition that began with Nancy Reagan in 1981.
President Trump also had some memorable moments during the day. He teased the children, telling them they could sell his autographs for $25,000 on eBay. When a child called him "the best president," Trump replied without hesitation: "Thank you, I agree".
Melania's commitment aligns with her history of promoting children's literacy. During her first term, on March 3, 2017, she carried out her first official engagement by visiting a pediatric hospital in Manhattan where she read "Oh, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss to the hospitalized children. In March 2026, she chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council, linking education to international peace, stating that "a nation that sanctifies learning protects its books, its language, its science, and its mathematics; it protects its future."
The Easter Egg Roll tradition at the White House dates back to 1878, when President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the gardens of the presidential residence to children wanting to roll Easter eggs, following a law that prohibited it at the Capitol. Since then, every First Lady has added her own touch to the event, and Melania's reading this Monday was no exception.
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