Whatever Groundhog Day means to you \u2014 whether it\u2019s wishful thinking for an early spring or visualizing Bill Murray\u2019s repetitive alarm clock in the 1993 film \u2014 this holiday is a fun, mid-winter milestone to celebrate with children. As tradition dictates, halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox on February 2nd each year, the world\u2019s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, gets coaxed out of his cozy Pennsylvania burrow. If he sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks. If not, spring is on the way. While Phil\u2019s predictions historically aren\u2019t highly reliable (he\u2019s been right less than 40 percent of the time in recent decades), he and his counterparts are still fun to read about. Here are eight imaginative titles to get kids thinking about groundhogs, weather, seasons, hibernation, and shadows. <\/p>\n
no no 9781524793258 The Night Before Groundhog Day <\/i> by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer <\/p>\n
Books in Natasha Wing\u2019s The Night Before series are reliable winners for helping kids anticipate an event. In this cheerful rhyming title, children go all out to prepare for the big day. They enjoy classroom learning and crafts, bake adorable groundhog cupcakes, and dream of furry brown friends. When they finally attend the community celebration the following day, the story ends without letting on the groundhog\u2019s forecast, leaving space for readers\u2019 predictions. <\/p>\n
9780823453870 Phil\u2019s Big Day <\/i> by Liza Woodruff <\/p>\n
This adorable new addition to the Groundhog Day book canon brings young readers an opportunity to empathize with Phil\u2019s anxiety as he anticipates his big moment in the spotlight. Unable to sleep, Phil models coping strategies from finding a calming activity (making his signature pancakes) to asking for help from someone he trusts (his little sister, Marla, who has no qualms about on-the-spot weather predictions). You\u2019ll return to this book each year to celebrate the mid-winter season and spark helpful conversations about social and emotional skills that apply equally to stout brown critters and humans. <\/p>\n
9780142408964 Groundhog Gets a Say <\/i> by Pamela Curtis Swallow, illustrated by Denise Brunkus <\/p>\n
Why should we only celebrate groundhogs for a day? One proud groundhog lobbies for more recognition (Groundhog Appreciation Month, perhaps?) by sharing interesting facts about what makes him and his fellow whistle pigs extraordinary. From groundhog digging skills and handy adaptations to hibernation habits, this book delivers equal doses of knowledge and humor. Kids will especially love the snarky side comments from the other animals.<\/p>\n
9781580897341 Groundhog\u2019s Runaway Shadow <\/i> by David Biedrzycki <\/p>\n
Groundhog Phil\u2019s enthusiastic shadow is a bit unusual\u2026and annoying. When Phil explodes with, \u201cI wish you would just go away!\u201d his shadow complies, heading around the world on a grand adventure. Of course, Phil soon has a change of heart and searches the globe to reunite with his shadow. Readers will appreciate the friendship themes in this story and how it gets kids excited about exploring shadows. <\/p>\n
9780593326152 Groundhog Gets It Wrong <\/i> by Jessica Townes, illustrated by Nicole Miles <\/p>\n
Groundhog takes his first shot at predicting spring\u2019s arrival and\u2026gets it wrong. The very next day, it snows. He hilariously tries to make the snow disappear by shoveling, defrosting it with a hair dryer, and melting it away with a fire hose (which creates a slippery skating rink). Discouraged, he wonders if he should change professions. Then, he finds a stash of meteorology charts and books and launches into self-study, determined to prove himself worthy next year. This is a fun title to introduce kids to meteorology and weather predictions.<\/p>\n
9780823450909 Groundhog Day! (New & Updated) <\/i> by Gail Gibbons <\/p>\n
Gail Gibbons is a pro at explaining any topic to kids, and this book does an excellent job laying out the historical roots of today\u2019s Groundhog Day traditions, which span thousands of years. She uses maps and diagrams to share groundhogs\u2019 physical attributes and behaviors, and introduces kids to other notable groundhogs besides Punxsutawney Phil. This is an ideal resource for kids ready to dig deeper into Groundhog Day.<\/p>\n
9781580896009 Groundhog\u2019s Dilemma <\/i> by Kristen Remenar, illustrated by Matt Faulkner <\/p>\n
No matter what Groundhog predicts about winter and spring, someone is disappointed. (This is likely true for the children in your life, too!) After Hare brings Groundhog a treat to thank him for a favorable forecast, the other animals try to sway his thinking for next year. When the big day comes, Groundhog realizes he must tell the truth about how he can\u2019t change the weather \u2014 even if it makes some of his friends mad. This is the perfect tale for discussing honesty, disappointment, and how to make the best things we can\u2019t control. <\/p>\n
9780142301968 Gregory’s Shadow<\/i> by Don Freeman <\/p>\n
From the creator of Corduroy<\/i> comes an adorable picture book about a shy groundhog who befriends his shadow. When Gregory the groundhog accidently loses his friend Shadow the day before Groundhog Day, when all the farmers wait for his prediction about the arrival of spring weather, he must face his fears to go searching for him. How Gregory and his shadow find each other and what they do to keep the farmers happy on their special day makes for a cute ending to a simple story. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Celebrate Groundhog Day with a few imaginative picture books sure to get kids thinking about groundhogs, weather, seasons, hibernation, and shadows. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":111914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1175],"coauthors":[1053],"class_list":["post-111849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-animals-and-nature","ages_stages-pre-k","ages_stages-growing-reader"],"yoast_head":"\n