Sun Above and Blooms Below: A Springtime of Opposites

by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky, Susan Swan (Illustrations)

Time for a field trip to the farm to see chicks hatch―and discover opposites too! It’s still a little cold and wet outside, but it’s warm and dry inside the barn where the eggs are waiting. You’ll find things that are big and little, short and tall, from beginning to end of this springtime story.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Poetry, Storytime, School, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2015

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

This beautifully illustrated picture book of opposites is a great choice for teachers looking for a spring or farm themed circle time selection. Great for building vocabulary, phonological awareness, and narrative skills. Readers may also enjoy The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. - Alexis S.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meant to be a book of opposites, this book is better read as a spring story. The opposites on each page within the story seemed confusing at times, needing the bold text to point out the use of opposites. As a spring story, it hits all the marks with blooming flowers and hatching eggs.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone else said this too, that this book is kinda mis-marketed? I mean, the opposites are there on the pages - nice and bold too, compared to the bulk of the text - but they aren't always clearly corresponding to the part of the picture that they should. So it's a good storytime book for chickens and eggs, for farms, for springtime, but there are better books for opposites. Still, we have several schools in my area that do farm field trips in the area, so it's one I'd recommend to teachers in our communtiy.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A class takes a field trip to a fair and learns all about opposites during the trip. cute. preschool and up for length.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are nice!

[susan nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For preschool use with Animal Opposites Alphaprints

[Storytime Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

“‘What daffodils!’ Miss Ava cheered. ‘The earth just blooms this time of year! Cooped up in school, without a doubt, you’ve caught spring fever. We’re going out.’”
❤️ This book is a great example of mixed media illustrations
💫 For the length of story, I wish there were more of a plot. A lot happened in the story, but it wasn’t really presented as a beginning, middle, end.
📆 I’d use this book for its example of mixed media artwork (and spring if possible but not necessary). In theory it’s also a book of opposites but it’s too long of a book for the age you’d want to talk about opposites with.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not really the style of story telling I enjoy reading so I probably wouldn’t check it out again

Check out StorytimeCorner.com to see our favorites grouped by time of year/theme we’d recommend reading them.

My Ranking System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I absolutely love everything about the book and would buy it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love the book but there are enough “wishes” that I wouldn’t buy it but I’d definitely check it out again
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m glad I read it once but it is a one time read and never again
⭐️⭐️ I was bored and wish I had the time back that I spent reading it
⭐️ I really didn’t like it and would advise people NOT to read it

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun rhyming book using opposites. Miss Ava’s class is taking a field trip! They’re going in and out, through sun and rain, up and down hills, to the chicken farm. They see big and small chickens in the coop. There were many eggs, a few were cracking. Soon the whole eggs were broken and baby chicks had hatched. Some were sleeping and some were awake peeping. Then it was time to go back to school. Hello. Goodbye.
http://julianaleewriter.com/books-ali...

[Melissa Trumbo]

Love this book about identifying opposites. Each page is colorful, bold pictures where words that are opposites are larger and bolder. Educational and a great beginner book for kindergarten age children.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright art highlights a rhyming story of a field trip to a farm. Spring is a time of opposites and this book weaves the concept throughout the tale.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations are gorgeous, but I had a few issues with the rhythm of the text.

[Pinky · Rating 2 out of 5]

The children take a school trip to the farm.

[Lori Gravley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure the rhyme adds to this book, but it might make it more fun to read aloud. The concept is wonderful and the illustrations are a delight.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for classroom use for ages 3-5.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming text, bright collages, opposites.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the opposite/spring combo, illustrations are bright and fun!

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful art sets this story apart, but confusing opposites detract from the narrative flow.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations in this opposites book set on a farm. I like that each set of opposites are printed in bold to set them apart from the other text. The story involves a class trip to the farm so children can relate.

teaching application- students can team up to remember the opposites then share with class. List could be made of other opposites they can find in their own class or playground..

[Caroline]

This story introduces readers to opposites by showing a class getting ready to take a Spring field trip to a farm, exploring the farm, and getting ready to leave the farm.

The bold text is nice but might make it better for one-on-one sharing where kids can really see and recognize the emphasized words. It's a little long too for story time I would imagine, but the illustrations are vibrant and rich.