Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day!

This a sweet story about trying something new for the first time. Everyone rallied around Gretchen, helping her 'go out' for her debut as the groundhog predicting spring. Cote's detailed illustrations are perfect, her character expressions are delightful! A nice spin on an old traditional tale.

This year will be Gretchen Groundhog's first time to Go Out on February 2, but she feels too shy. When the people of Piccadilly hear that she doesn't want to Go Out, they panic. How will they know whether they should plan for winter or spring? Fortunately, the night before Groundhog Day, Gretchen gets a visit from Hester, the town historian's daughter. Her records show that, through the years, EVERY groundhog has been afraid to Go Out: from Pilgrim Goody Groundhog to Gretchen's Great-Uncle Gus. Gus's advice to Gretchen all along has been that the first time is the hardest. The book ends with Gretchen stepping out her door with a smile on her face, ready to make her prediction and greet the media. My one complaint here concerns the historical portrayal. It's useful to show Gretchen that others before her experienced the same fears. But the way it's presented is not historically accurate, and it conflicts with the information contained on the explanatory page that opens the book. That first page explains that "German pioneers in Pennsylvania" are responsible for bringing to America the northern European of watching hibernators emerge on February 2nd, and that the first celebration of its kind was held in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Well, so much for Goody Groundhog from the Mayflower, George Groundhog at Valley Forge, and General Grant Groundhog in the Civil War. They were fun images to project, but the story portion of the book doesn't jive with the historical background provided. Still, the empowerment message is well done here and may inspire both boys and girls to have confidence in tasks they are called upon to perform. The lively and colorful illustrations are filled with lots to discover. See my Listmania list for other Groundhog Day recommendations.

This book is absolutley wonderful! I used it in my classroom on Grondhog's day, and we had the greatest activity with it. It is an up-dated and fun way to view this holiday. Students loved it, especially when Gretchen recieved support letters on her e-mail account. The illustrations are also beautiful, and the groundhogs look very believeable. The best thing about this book is the letters Gretchen recieved from past groundhogs who also looked for their shadows. Goody Groundhog, the early colonist, talks about her fears. Gloria Groundhog, the movie star also provides insight for Gretchen. It is my opinion that there is no other book to use but this one for Groundhog's Day