--- title: The Other Side of Easter description: Alexis Dallara-Marsh reviews a Catholic picture book that turns our cultural ideas about Easter upside-down. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20240307%20ADMarsh%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-other-side-of-easter#) [BOOKS](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/books) # The Other Side of Easter Mar 7, 2024 7:00:00 AM  |  by [Alexis Dallara-Marsh](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/alexis-dallara-marsh) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20240307%20ADMarsh%201.png) *Alexis Dallara-Marsh reviews a picture book that turns our cultural ideas about Easter upside-down.* --- Things aren't always what they seem at first glance. [*The Other Side of Easter*](https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Easter-Beth-Gully/dp/099072672X/) by Beth Gully is a very sweet paperback book telling two stories in one, combining more secular Easter traditions with the biblical facts of the events that took place over Christ's Holy Triduum.   ![The Other Side of Easter 2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%202.jpg?width=599&height=706&name=The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%202.jpg)   The book is written in rhyming verses involving easy-to-understand language. The first section concentrates on the season of spring, with themes of nature and Easter eggs and candies; and the second, the story of the Last Supper, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. At first glance, the illustrations don't necessarily look like the traditional eye-catching kid-friendly pictures one might expect, and in the first side of the book they seem abstract, particularly for a younger audience.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%204.jpg?width=1290&height=1264&name=The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%204.jpg)   But with further time, kids and adults alike will probably appreciate the very clever ways the illustrator manages to lay out pictures that can show different images when flipped upside-down.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%203.jpg?width=1290&height=1293&name=The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%203.jpg)   For example, in one illustration seen are three persons and their shadows of crosses; in the next, eggs being replaced by silver coins when flipped upside-down. My favorite is a white flower that becomes a dove. In some ways the pictures remind me of those books where you look for a hidden object. Once I read the context that is second, or upside-down, everything came together and made sense.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%205.jpg?width=1290&height=1308&name=The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter%205.jpg)   Overall, I think this book can be a good educational resource for parents to refer to when trying to teach children about how the secular season of Easter may overlap with its religious themes.   *The Other Side of Easter* is available from [Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Easter-Beth-Gully/dp/099072672X/).   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20240307%20ADMarsh%20BOOK.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20240307%20ADMarsh%20BOOK.png) --- Copyright 2024 Alexis Dallara-Marsh Images: (top, bottom) Canva; other images copyright Beth Gully, all rights reserved, used with permission. ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-side-of-easter%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-side-of-easter%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-side-of-easter%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20Other%20Side%20of%20Easter) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-side-of-easter%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-side-of-easter%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Alexis Dallara-Marsh](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Alexis%20Dallara%20Marsh.jpg) ### [Alexis Dallara-Marsh](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/alexis-dallara-marsh) Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of four little ones on Earth, plus two others in Heaven above. ## Related Blog Articles [ The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-sacrament-of-anointing-of-the-sick) [ St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Living on Love Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/st.-thérèse-of-lisieux-living-on-love) [ The Humility of the Holy Family Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-humility-of-the-holy-family) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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