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Growing Reader

Is Spring Around the Corner?
8 Books To Celebrate Groundhog Day With Kids

by Lindsay Barrett

Whatever Groundhog Day means to you — whether it’s wishful thinking for an early spring or visualizing Bill Murray’s repetitive alarm clock in the 1993 film — 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’s 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’s predictions historically aren’t highly reliable (he’s 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.

The Night Before Groundhog Day

The Night Before Groundhog Day

by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer

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Books in Natasha Wing’s 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’s forecast, leaving space for readers’ predictions.

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Phil’s Big Day

Phil’s Big Day

by Liza Woodruff

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This adorable new addition to the Groundhog Day book canon brings young readers an opportunity to empathize with Phil’s 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’ll 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.

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Groundhog Gets a Say

Groundhog Gets a Say

by Pamela Curtis Swallow, illustrated by Denise Brunkus

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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.

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Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow

Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow

by David Biedrzycki

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Groundhog Phil’s enthusiastic shadow is a bit unusual…and annoying. When Phil explodes with, “I wish you would just go away!” 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.

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Groundhog Gets It Wrong

Groundhog Gets It Wrong

by Jessica Townes, illustrated by Nicole Miles

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Groundhog takes his first shot at predicting spring’s arrival and…gets 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.

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Groundhog Day! (New & Updated)

Groundhog Day! (New & Updated)

by Gail Gibbons

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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’s Groundhog Day traditions, which span thousands of years. She uses maps and diagrams to share groundhogs’ 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.

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Groundhog’s Dilemma

Groundhog’s Dilemma

by Kristen Remenar, illustrated by Matt Faulkner

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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’t change the weather — 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’t control.

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Gregory's Shadow

Gregory's Shadow

by Don Freeman

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From the creator of Corduroy 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.

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