Shadowy Days

Groundhog Day is Wednesday. I've always found it to be an odd tradition... and a depressing one considering we almost always have six more weeks of winter regardless of Punxsutawney's shadow. But shadows in and of themselves are fun, and groundhogs are so darn cute, we're going to celebrate anyway!

E learned about shadows today in school, so my afternoon activity was a perfect tie-in. I stretched a sheet between two chairs, placed a naked lamp on the ground, and voila! We had ourselves a shadow puppet stage.

Groundhog Stays Up Late by Margery Cuyler

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but there are an amazing number of books about groundhogs out there! This one was particularly cute. Groundhog doesn't heed his friends' warnings and plays instead of collecting food for the winter. When his friends leave him to hibernate for the winter, he gets lonely, bored, and hungry. During a brief thaw, he tricks his friends into thinking spring arrived and they celebrate with a feast. When the snow starts falling, groundhog happily escapes to his den, but his friends have a few tricks of their own.



Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub

Professor Groundhog opens a new Groundhog Weather School, inviting groundhogs from across the continent to study under his tutelage. The book is jam-packed with facts, each presented in such a fun and creative way you're left hungry for more. While too busy and witty for toddlers and preschoolers, kindergartners on up will thoroughly enjoy reading every detail in this clever book.