Groundhog Gets a Say [Hardcover]

Pamela Curtis Swallow (Author), Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It’s February 3rd, and Groundhog is fed up! Every year, the day after hordes of people flock to his den, he’s forgotten. Well, this year, he’s stating his case (with Crow and Squirrel and Junior Groundhog listening) to designate February as Groundhog Appreciation Month. Did you know that groundhogs can run as fast as the average fourth grader? Or that they’re such good diggers that they can move seven hundred pounds of dirt and rocks in one day? And that’s just the beginning of what makes groundhogs so amazing.

From the illustrator of the Junie B. Jones books and the author of the Melvil & Dewey books comes a funny, fact-filled look at what happens when one very proud groundhog gets his chance to speak out.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–It is February 3 and Groundhog has decided that his holiday should last longer than one day. While telling the facts about his species to crow, squirrel, and a hog reporter, he reveals that groundhogs can move about seven hundred pounds of dirt and rocks in one day, and that they are clever builders of burrows, they run, climb trees, and are studied by scientists. Convinced of the creature's talents, the reporter declares, You're the Hog! Operation Groundhog will start immediately. The world will know the Hog truth. The humorous text is completed by Brunkus's finely executed, animated, watercolor-and-colored-pencil drawings.–Rebecca Sheridan, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Swallow presents quite a bit of information about groundhogs in an entertaining story: as a sarcastic squirrel and crow look on and make snide remarks, a bespectacled young groundhog interviews a bigger, presumably older one, who isn't shy about enumerating his talents. Along the way, kids will learn, among other things, that woodchuck is another word for groundhog, that groundhogs are related to squirrels, and that they hibernate during the winter. Brunkus' humorous, colorful illustrations portray the portly braggart and his companions with wry, apt expressions on their faces, conveying their annoyance, and, despite themselves, their curiosity. Pair this with Margery Cuyler's Groundhog Stays Up Late ( 2005) for a festive Groundhog Day storytime. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039923876X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399238765
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book; a little advanced for kindergarten, February 4, 2007

By 

Amber Mann (Sugar Land, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Groundhog Gets a Say (Hardcover)

I am an elementary school librarian. I used this book in a lesson on Groundhog Day. The story does an excellent job of weaving lots of facts into a cute story. The kids (and I) learned many facts about groundhogs. However, I found this story to be a little too complicated for kindergarten and first grade. The book includes so much non-fiction alongside the 120-year-old folktale about a marmot predicting the weather that little kids have trouble sorting out what's real and what's not. I was afraid that they'd come to school in shorts when Phil didn't see his shadow.
This is a fantastic story to use with 2nd grade and beyond, but I recommend something less complex (like Pat Miller's Substitute Groundhog) for younger kids.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Fascinating!, January 29, 2006

By 

ReadNNH "readnnh" (New England USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Groundhog Gets a Say (Hardcover)

This is a real winner - and a nice change from the typical Groundhog stories you find this time of year. Groundhog is smart, funny and gives a lot of neat information about groundhogs to curious young readers. I will be adding this book to my first grade read-aloud list for early February from now on. And did I mention that the illustrations are terrific too!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundhog speaks out!, January 5, 2006

By 

Sally Keehn - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Groundhog Gets a Say (Hardcover)

In Pam Swallow's delightful picture book, charmingly illustrated by the amazingly talented Denise Brunkus, the lowly groundhog hog finally gets his say. With wit and humor, author and artist present a tale of this much maligned creature. Who would have known that ground hogs whistle, can move about seven hundred pounds of dirt in a day and have their own indoor plumbing? It's fascinating. Kids, parents, and teachers will love this book. After reading it, I agree with the groundhog - he/she deserves not just a day of recognition, but a month. A year!