Go To Sleep, Groundhog! [Paperback]

Judy Cox (Author), Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

It's autumn and time for Groundhog to sleep until Groundhog Day, but he cannot fall asleep! Maybe a little walk will make him sleepy. When he steps outside his burrow, he's in for some surprises. After all his nocturnal wanderings, will Groundhog be able to wake up for his big day?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2--At last, Groundhog Day finally has an irresistible story to call its own. Groundhog goes to sleep on Columbus Day as usual, setting his alarm clock for February 2, but he keeps tossing and turning. He checks the clock and gets up at half-past October, half-past November, and then half-past December. Each time, he sees the trappings of holidays that he had always slept through before. Halloween Witch, Turkey, and Santa each take a turn tucking him back into bed, reading him a seasonal story, and giving him a holiday treat. Naturally, when February 2 rolls around, Groundhog is finally sound asleep, but he wakes up long enough to go up to the surface and see his shadow. An afterword describes the development of the Groundhog Day superstition. The text flows smoothly, and Cox makes effective use of repetition. Meisel's vibrant acrylic-and-gouache illustrations will help make this a favorite in storytimes.--Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. It's hibernation time, and Groundhog isn't a bit sleepy. But when he ventures outside between bouts of tossing and turning, seasonal sights and sounds reveal he's been dozing more than he thinks. Children will giggle at Groundhog's distorted perceptions and his naivete about the major cool-weather holidays. Those who can't tell time, however, will need guidance from adults to fully comprehend the cleverness of an alarm clock with hands pointing to months rather than hours. Meisel's Groundhog is a dear little character, especially when he's being tucked in by holiday emissaries (a friendly witch, a turkey, and Santa), who try to lull him back to sleep. It all comes to a satisfying close when Groundhog sees his shadow on February 2 and gratefully climbs back into bed for six more weeks. An endnote discussing the tradition of using critters as meteorologists makes this a useful as well as a charming answer to the scarcity of engaging material on Groundhog Day. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (P) (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082341874X
• ISBN-13: 978-0823418749
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mammals > Fiction
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > General
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Insomniac Groundhog, March 14, 2005

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Go to Sleep, Groundhog! (School & Library Binding)

This is a clever and very colorful story about a groundhog who just can't seem to get the hang of hibernation. While his peers presumably sleep from autumn until February, this Groundhog keeps waking up-just in time for the holidays he usually misses. In a coup de grace, author Judy Cox's Groundhog has an alarm clock that keeps track of time by months! Each time he wakes up, Cox's narrative repeats the following (changing only the month):

"Groundhog curled up in his warm cozy bed. He closed his eyes. He tossed and turned, but he couldn't get to sleep. Finally he got out of bed. He peered at his clock. Half-past November."

Each new adventure starts with the lines "Groundhog went inside. He saw things he'd never seen before," adding a sense of fresh wonder at his new experiences. At Halloween he sees the costumed children and scarecrows, and a friendly witch flies him back to bed and reads him a story. The next time he wakes up, Autumn, and he sees "tall yellow corn shocks and round orange pumpkins." A turkey flies him home and reads him a story, but not before proclaiming," It's almost winter. You should be in bed, and I should be making myself scarce." At Christmas time, who but Santa himself flies the excited Groundhog back home on his toy-filled sleigh, reading him a Christmas story, and giving him a cookie. On his big day, February 2nd, Groundhog is awakened by the alarm; he has slept very well and can scarcely believe it is time to get up already! Followed by his ever-faithful mouse pal, he goes outside and does his winter prediction duties.

Paul Meisel's depiction of the friendly groundhog and the seasonal colors are appealing, and Cox's narrative premise, complemented by her gentle humor, make this interesting and engaging read. Cox also includes a one-page history of groundhog's day after the story. Bright colors, a casual personal-looking font, and nice glossy paper add to the book's appeal.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A groundhog tale with a unique perspective, December 31, 2005

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Go To Sleep, Groundhog! (Paperback)

In many Groundhog Day stories, the main character sleeps deeply or even oversleeps. Not so here. Groundhog goes to bed on Columbus Day but keeps waking up once a month during the winter. Each time, he thinks that maybe a little walk outside will make him sleepy again. Oh, the things he sees for the first time! Witches and children dressed up in costumes. Turkeys and pumpkins. Colored lights on houses and a man named Santa Claus. At the end of each excursion, someone takes Groundhog home and reads him a bedtime story to put him to sleep. When February comes and it's truly time for Groundhog to awaken, he does so reluctantly. He leaves his burrow, sees his shadow, and then goes back to bed for six more weeks of Winter. (Reading a bedtime story to himself first, of course.) A note on the final page explains the history of the Groundhog Day ritual.

Judy Cox has approached this subject in a unique way. We don't give a second thought to what we would miss out on if we were to hibernate during the winter months. And kudos to her for not giving Groundhog a human name. Paul Meisel's colorful illustrations suit the mood of the storyline and portray Groundhog as a timid but inquisitive and friendly creature. An interesting book for the season. See my Listmania list for more books about Groundhog Day.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last! A Really Good Groundhog Day Book!, December 9, 2004

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Go To Sleep, Groundhog! (Paperback)

Finally someone wrote a nice groundhog story that will entertain and interest young readers. It also teaches a sense of time by mentioning other holidays associated with fall and winter. Fun!