Back of Book:
February 2 dawns and Groundhog see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter! Half his friends cheer. The other half groan. Groundhog wants to please everyone, but it seems impossible. Besides, Groundhog doesn’t control the weather- he just predicts it. That’s not how his friends see it, though, and Groundhog finds himself the recipient of food and favors as bribes to secure next years result. What a mess for poor Groundhog! How can he avoid upsetting half his friends?
My Review:
I love that Kristen Remenar took a simple holiday and created a terrific story about the true meaning of friendship. Groundhog tries hard to please everyone. Still, no matter what he says someone is upset. Before he knows it, the animals are bringing him food to bribe him to make a different decision next year. Groundhog feels overwhelmed restless. He realizes that his friends should not like if he does only what they want. He talks to his friends and they come to a realization that friendship is not about what you get, but about what you give. I love the way the text is written in this book. It is a mixture of regular text and word bubbles. This keeps readers attention on what is happening in the story. Matt Faulkner is a fantastic illustrator who brings a lot of humor to his drawings. I think my favorite illustration is of the moon wearing earmuffs. I am very excited to share this book with my students this year.
Ages 5 and up
32 Pages
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