groundhog day, groundhog, holidays, seasons, shadow, sleep, winter, spring, February ( )

Groundhog sets his alarm for February 2nd and gets ready to go to bed. But he can’t seem to get to sleep, and keeps waking up to experience all the winter holidays for the very first time. ( )

This story is about a Groundhog who keeps waking up for the wrong holidays. He wakes up for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. When it's February 2nd, he can't get out of bed. But when he does he sees his shadow and runs back to sleep.

Groundhog has difficulty getting to sleep as he usual does on Columbus Day so he keeps deciding to go outside and take a walk to tired himself out. Outside, he keeps coming across holidays he's never witnessed before, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Will he ever get to sleep in time to wake up for his own special day?

There are a lot of things to like about this book, but one of the things I especially enjoy is how I noticed something new in the illustrations each time I re-read. The illustrations are lovely, a pleasant blend of realism and child-like simplicity. They also perfectly accompany the narrative, portraying what occurs in the story. Speaking of which, the story is a lot of fun in that the reader gets to re-visit other big holidays that precede Groundhog's Day. This is especially interesting in a classroom (like mine with young toddlers) because you can discuss and reinforce what children have learned already about these other holidays. The language used is fairly simple and straightforward with some repetition in terms of the pattern of the events (and thus the accompanying language). This book is definitely a great addition to any discussion about Groundhog's Day. ( )

When Columbus Day rolls around, Groundhog prepares for his long winter sleep by brushing his teeth, putting on his jammies, and setting his alarm clock for February 2nd. But although his bed is cozy and warm, he just can't seem to stay asleep! Waking in mid-October, mid-November, and mid-December, our sciurine** hero encounters a series of holiday celebrants - a Halloween witch, a Thanksgiving turkey, and Christmas Santa - each of whom shepherds him back to bed. With all these disruptions, will Groundhog be able to honor his February commitment...?

Go to Sleep, Groundhog is probably the first Groundhog-Day-themed title that I have read, and although I don't know that I've ever really felt the want of such stories in my life, I'm happy to have encountered it. With a sweet little tale that young readers - themselves often reluctant to go to (and stay in) bed - will enjoy, as well as colorful acrylic and gouache illustrations that are humorous and fun, this is a book that I would recommend to anyone looking for children's stories that address this particular tradition. There's even an informative afterword, explaining the history behind the holiday!

**You might imagine that groundhogs, being rodents, would be described as "murine," but (like squirrels and prairie dogs), they actually belong to the Sciuridae family! Yes, I do love the animal adjectives.. ( )