It’s February 2nd, so you know what that means, right? Time to whip up a batch of delicious Punxsutawney Phil Pudding Pops!
Nilla wafers. Is there anything they can’t do? Get the full recipe for these little buggers here.
I credit the BB-Blog with that little discovery, but on the children’s literary side of things I hope y’all remembered to pull out all your Groundhog Day books in your children’s rooms. I tend to forget, which is too bad since this is the only time of year the doggone things even circulate.
I did discover one 2011 Groundhog’s Day book worth celebrating, however. I don’t know if any of you have seen Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby (illustrations by Carmen Segovia). If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. For technical reasons I cannot officially review it on this blog, but at the very least I can suggest that you take a gander. In this trickster tale a delicious groundhog is pursued by a hungry fox, outwitting him at every turn. The lovely acrylics by Segovia make this more than a mere holiday book.
Now let’s enjoy . . . uh . . . well, there’s not much in the way of sun today so I guess we’re looking for an “early spring”. Fingers crossed on that one.
Extra: For fun, check out the names of all the groundhogs around the country as listed by Wikipedia. My favorites include Octoraro Orphie, Shubenacadie Sam, and Staten Island Chuck.
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 28, 2010
Winter. A very fun season: Ice skating, skiing, sledding, building snowmen—or snow-ladies—and the perfect excuse for some good-old hibernation. Definition of hibernation: staying inside watching movies, playing board games, and reading books.
From picture books to a young adult novel, check out this uber-cool list …
Picture Books
Bedtime for Bear
by Brett Helquist
Reading level: Ages 2-7
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (December 21, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Wintertime is here, and that means it is bedtime for Bear. But Bear’s friends don’t think so. They want Bear to come and play outside in the snow. Bear can hear his friends calling. He hears them laughing and playing. Bear can’t sleep. But it’s bedtime! What is a bear to do?
Add this book to your collection: Bedtime for Bear
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee
by Chris Van Dusen
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 27, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: One winter morning, Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee, head out bright and early to learn how to ski. But what begins as a pleasant day in the snow quickly goes downhill when a run-in with a curious moose sends them flying through the air and hanging above an abyss! How will Dee and Magee find their way out of this snowy situation? Chris Van Dusen, the creator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee and A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee, has crafted yet another fun-filled adventure for Magee fans old and new.
Add this book to your collection: Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee
Ten on the Sled
by Kim Norman (Author), Liza Woodruff (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Sterling (October 5, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Author Kim Norman (Crocodaddy) and illustrator Liz
Blackaby, Susan. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox. Illus. by Carmen Segovia. Sterling, 2011.
Ages 4-7.
If you’re seeking a whimsical read-aloud for Groundhog’s Day, you’ve found it. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox sparkles with wit and sly charm. Brownie is a clever groundhog that meets a hungry would-be predator on a cloudy February 2nd. The fox tells her, “Hold still…. I’m trying to eat you for breakfast.” Brownie’s flip response is that it’ s simply too late for breakfast. The two find they both hate to wait. Brownie suggests the fox work up an appetite by clearing the snow off the pond. Segovia’s humorous image shows the fox putting his fluffy tail to good use. Alas, after all that effort, it’s too late for lunch, says Brownie. Then the tricky groundhog leads the fox to a tree and winds her scarf around and around the fox, binding him to the trunk.
Brownie’s little heart is touched, though, as she hears the fox’s plaintive cries. She decides it’s time to share what’s in her basket: cocoa and cinnamon toast. The crumbs attract a robin — the first sign of spring! The two new friends leave for home, pondering their next adventure. The illustrator’s note describes how Segovia first conceived of this engaging character one winter as she sketched a groundhog. Her wintry palette, splashed with the fox’s red, is as refreshing as that impromptu picnic.
Enhance a snowy story with the cold facts, perfectly described and displayed in 
Cassino, Mark and Jon Nelson. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder.. Chronicle, 2009. Ages 4-9. You’ll be singing songs of snow, glorious snow after reading this snappy little informative book. Cassino and Nelson reveal the scientific nature of snow by using an accessible format featuring a brief fact in a large type size, then giving details in smaller text. Readers will learn of the three major types of crystals (star-shaped, plate and columnar), as well as other interesting facts. (It’s the molecular structure of water that creates the six-sided crystals, for instance.) The superb illustrations include both spectacular photographs that beg to be shared and Aoyagi’s ink and watercolor diagrams that show how a crystal develops from a speck of soil, pollen, or other substance, and then develops into an intricate six-sided beauty. Also noteworthy are the clear instructions on catching and examining snow crystals — just the trick for getting readers to venture outside to explore wintry wonders.
More and More Snow …
Alarcon, Francisco X. Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems. illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children’s Book Press, 2001. Fresh poems, often written with an unusual perspective, grace bright and beautiful pages showcasing poems in both Spanish and in English.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Snow Queen. Trans. and retold by Naomi Lewis. Illus. by Christian Birmingham. Candlewick, 2008. Ages 8-10. Don’t miss Andersen’s most beautiful fairy tale, a source of inspiration for C.S. Lewis and other fantasy writers. Of the many versions available, Lewis’s is the one you want. This memorable wintry tale begs to be read aloud: “The cloak and cap were made of snow, and the driver ah, she was a lad
Maybe the sun will weakly reflect on all the ice pellets coming down?
Enough for teeny tiny groundhog shadows, perhaps. If groundhogs were, say, the size of M&Ms.
My coloring page this week is a Groundhog! http://dulemba.blogspot.com/2011/02/coloring-page-tuesday-groundhog-day.html .
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a slightly more substantial groundhog offering
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/cakespy-groundhogs-day-cake-recip.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29
Those pudding pops are adorable. And they look mighty tasty, too.
Darn, Wikipedia found more groundhogs than I did.
For a good while, the most complete list of groundhogs in North America (they don’t live in the rest of the world, only here.) was in The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun. People would come up to me at ALA and say, “I bet MY groundhog isn’t in your book,” — and glory-be, there it was.
Yay for yummy groundhog pudding pops. I’ll have to add it to my Groundhog Day parties at the library.
and Elizabeth Dulemba’s coloring pages are great.
Can’t wait to see Brownie Groundhog.
Love the Groundhog pudding pops idea. Here is another cute groundhog treat at http://lilyjanestationery.typepad.com/justlovely/2011/01/diy-groundhog-day-cupcakes.html
That’s it. We’re writing a Tasty Groundhog Snack book. Who’s with me?