Groundhog Day!

March 1, 2007
K-Gr 4-A look at some fascinating facts about this red-letter day, presented in Gibbons's signature style. Readers will learn about the traditions that led to the big celebration now held each year on February 2nd in Punxsutawney, PA. The author includes tidbits about the groundhog's diet, habitat, burrows, newborns/kits and looks at past cultures that depended on hibernating animals to help them determine the arrival of spring. Today's "belief" that there will be six more weeks of winter if a groundhog sees his shadow is explained in terms that are perfect for children's level of understanding. Pair this informative and entertaining title with one of the many fictional picture books available on this subject for a fun and fact-filled lesson."Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
When you come right down to it, Groundhog Day isn't much of a holiday, so it's no surprise that this book needed a little more than just history and customs to make it viable. Gibbons presents the basics, but she also offers information on groundhogs to bolster the text. The book begins with several pictures of a groundhog peeking out of its burrow as text explains shadows and the old adage about six more weeks of winter. There's also a substantial piece about how, in times past, hibernating animals were watched for clues about the weather. Less successful is vaguely worded information; for example, this description of spring festivals: "about 1,500 years ago, people in Europe began lighting candles in the early spring for a new religious celebration." Gibbons' familiar artwork extends the text, especially in a two-page spread that offers an underground view of a groundhog's multichamber burrow. A brief look at how the holiday is celebrated and a page of additional facts conclude the book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)