Sun Up Sun Down

by Gail Gibbons

Describes the characteristics of the sun and the ways in which it regulates life on earth.

Genres: Science, Childrens, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Astronomy, Nature, Space

30 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 1983

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this as a part of our homeschool preschool space unit. This is a great introduction for kids and includes facts about the sun, shadows, earth's rotation, the water cycle, and how rainbows are made. It's scientific facts presented in a way to be very accessible to little ones. My four year old loved it.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a decent guide to explain what the sun is and how things on earth are dependent on the sun. There isn't much of a story here, just observations of a small girl who watches the sun rays entering her bedroom window and the dawn breaks and goes on to explain how shadows are formed, how the sun helps in forming rain, how rainbows are made, how a sunset in our part of the world means it's a sunrise in some other part of it, amongst other things.

Some of the vocabulary and concepts are advanced, so I'm not sure where exactly to place this on a reading level. But younger kids will definitely understand and relate to some if all not all of the facts listed in the book.

[Ebele · Rating 5 out of 5]

It can tell you about how far is away the 🌞

[Kristiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love Gail Gibbons books, but this was disappointing. Nothing special about it. It was fine.

[Sophie Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory book about the sun!

[Ciara Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like how it says the sun 93 million miles away

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very informational book about the sun that is great for middle-aged classroom, 3-5. Sun up, Sun down is very detailed with illustrations that go right along with the author’s thoughts about how the sun helps the Earth. This book would be included in a science or agriculture lesson if the teacher is talking about the solar system or how plants grow in agriculture. Some of the vocabulary in this book may be a little advanced for young readers hence the level that I chose, 3-5. I rated this book 5 out of 5 star. Gail Gibbons is an awesome author for educational purposes she does an awesome job of depicting and creating useful learning books that are informational for students.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great instructional book for teaching about the sun. It is both informational and engaging. In this book a little girl is acting out daily routines through different times of the day, weather conditions and seasons all while telling the reader about the sun and what it is doing. It has great pictures and is easy for kids to relate to.

I am planning a science unit about the sky for my Kindergarten class and this is one of the books that I will be using to teach about the sun and the role it plays.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this informative book as an introductory lesson to directions for my first graders. They were able to express the difference between the North, South, East, and West after this read aloud.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 18895 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.0 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is incredibly informative, but is also incredibly dry. There is no creativity here whatsoever. Still useful.

[Cecile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is dry, however it held the attention of my transitional kindergartner age child.

[Debra]

K - 5

Solar System - Sun