Groundhog Stays Up Late [Hardcover]

Margery Cuyler (Author), Jean Cassels (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2005 | Age Level: 3 and up

Stubborn Groundhog simply can’t wait until February 2 to wake all his friends up!

Groundhog loves to run and play. When winter comes, Groundhog does not want to hibernate. His friends warn that he’ll be hungry and cold and lonely, but he just won’t listen. Yet he soon discovers his friends were right.

Then he has a brilliant idea! He’ll have an EARLY spring! All his friends will wake up, and they can all have fun together again. But his friends aren’t too happy when they find out Groundhog has played a trick on them.

A great new twist on the groundhog’s annual February ritual, this story is guaranteed to entertain, with a willful hero that children and adults will instantly recognize.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Who wants to spend all winter sleeping? Groundhog would rather spend his autumn days playing with the other woodland animals than preparing for winter. While his disapproving friends retreat to their warm and cozy burrows, he remains awake. Once the snow begins to fly, he plays in it alone, building snowmen and forts, but soon becomes hungry and cold. In early January during a brief thaw, the mischievous animal tricks the other forest inhabitants into believing that spring has arrived early and they celebrate with a wonderful feast. When his disgruntled companions discover the ruse, they resolve to get back at him, and, because of their trickery, he ends up sleeping through spring. The following winter, an unrepentant Groundhog stays up late once again. Crisp gouache paintings show the cuddly animals standing upright, and the energetic woodchuck proudly sports a red scarf and mittens. The colors and textures of the changing seasons are beautifully portrayed.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Groundhog prefers playing with his forest friends to preparing for winter, and despite warnings from Bear and Badger he doesn't bother to collect food or locate a shelter. He finds the first snow exhilarating, but building snow forts and throwing snowballs isn't much fun all by himself. Finally, desperate for food, he resorts to a fake declaration of spring, which brings out everyone for a party. A sudden snowstorm unmasks his trick, so the other animals plan a trick of their own--a painted shadow that fools Groundhog on February 2. Cassels' brightly colored gouache illustrations capture Groundhog's exuberance and the details of his cozy forest home. Children who like to test limits will identify with Groundhog's attempts to bend the rules to suit his purposes and be glad that despite the consequences of his actions, Groundhog's spirit is never broken. Pull this out for Groundhog Day story hours. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (October 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802789404
• ISBN-13: 978-0802789402
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #847,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forget about hibernating, February 28, 2006

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Groundhog Stays Up Late (Hardcover)

This Groundhog would rather play than prepare for Winter or hibernate. So while all of his animal friends nestled into their beds, he played in the snow. But it was a lonely business, entertaining himself; and besides, he was hungry and cold. After his sleepy friends rebuffed him, Groundhog decided to declare an early Spring so that everyone would wake up and eat. The animals were initially happy about the announcement -- until snow began to fall and the calendar revealed the date to be January 2nd, not February 2nd. His friends wanted to punish Groundhog, but he had finally returned to his burrow and was fast asleep. When he woke up a month later, he saw a strange shadow and thought there would still be six more weeks of Winter. Little did he know that his friends had tricked him by painting the shadow on the ground. They enjoyed the early Spring days while Groundhog went back to sleep.

This mildly amusing story is accompanied by realistic and playful illustrations. Seasonal banners that extend across some double-pages add to young reader interest and keep the storyline moving. See Judy Cox's "Go to Sleep, Groundhog," for a similar but different treatment.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Imaginative Story for Young Readers, December 1, 2005

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Groundhog Stays Up Late (Hardcover)

Groundhog adores running around and playing with his friends. So when winter comes, he decides that he won't be hibernating this year. His friends warn him that he'll only end up feeling cold and hungry, but Groundhog refuses to listen. Unfortunately, Groundhog soon finds that refusing to hibernate has only left him feeling lonely, as all of his friends have decided to take part in "the long nap." So Groundhog comes up with a wonderful idea, that will trick his friends, and give him something to do...he decides to announce that Spring has come early! But when his friends discover the truth, they decide to play a little trick on Groundhog. One that he'll never forget.

It is so rare to find children's books about Groundhog Day, so I was ecstatic when I stumbled upon Margery Cuyler's GROUNDHOG STAYS UP LATE. Groundhog is an adorable character who never learns his lesson, while his friends are little tricksters themselves, who love to take part in a good joke every now and then. The delightful story, accompanied by Jean Cassels gorgeous illustrations, will leave young readers enthralled with the story for hours, and parents may find it a challenge to pry it out of their little hands. A delightful story!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, December 13, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Groundhog Stays Up Late (Hardcover)

In this delightful tale we find that Groundhog does not want to go to sleep. He wants to play, make snowmen, have a snowball fight and build a fort, but all his friends are ready for a long winter nap.
Groundhog is stubborn and stays awake, but soon finds himself to be lonely so he plays a trick on his friends to wake them up way before February 2nd. Maybe that wasn't too good an idea. What do you think happens? You'll giggle when you find out.
This is a really cute tale showing that if you play a trick on someone you can expect to get it back many times over. and also gives children the story of Groundhog Day. The illustrations are bright and cheery and flow nicely with the story.
This is sure to entertain your child.