Groundhug Day

If Groundhog sees his shadow, he will hide in his hole for six more weeks. That is normal, so what is the issue? If he sees his shadow, he will miss Moose’s Valentine’s Day party! So, to make sure Groundhog can join them, all his friends come up with plans to stop him from seeing that pesky shadow. However, while they are arguing, morning comes….and so does Groundhogs shadow! What will they do now?

This latest picture book by the author of the Vampirina Ballerina series is another delightful treat. This holiday book has hints to more than just Groundhogs Day. It also included Valentines, St. Patrick’s Day and a fun nod to Easter as well. Children of all ages will enjoy this in their stocking, for their birthday or as an “I Love You” gift. The theme might be for Valentine’s Day, this really is an anytime read.

The illustrations are amazingly bright, fun and very charming. They are soft and fit the text well. They are very whimsical and are a story in themselves.

The theme of “fear” (Groundhog is afraid of shadows) is a good twist to help children learn about how people are different and how they can help friends overcome those fears. However, the constant bickering between the animals does make it a little tedious to read at times. Groundhog, however, is the one that comes up with a solution to his problem, so this does make another interesting theme. The tone of the store is very contemporary and less “classical” as the illustrations hint at.