On February 3, after the crowds of humans have dispersed, Groundhog bemoans the fickleness of being a once-a-year wonder. "I don't get it. Where is everybody? Yesterday I was BIG news, a star, king of the mound! Everyone wanted my weather report. Today . . . nothing!" Listening to and commenting on his tirade are a trio of animals: a sarcastic crow ("He's already the only animal with a national holiday . . . unless you count the turkey."); a red squirrel; and a younger, smaller, starstruck groundhog wearing thick-rimmed black specs, who is hard at work recording Groundhog's every word. In the comical watercolor and colored pencil illustrations, the younger groundhog has a flash camera around his neck, a recording device on his back, a microphone attached to his head, and is also taking notes with a pencil on a notepad. Oblivious to the ascerbic asides from the crow and squirrel, the big, brown, self-centered fellow delivers an impassioned soliloquy, expounding on his own singular talents. For instance, did you know groundhogs are also called whistle pigs? They whistle when they're in danger. They're also called woodchucks. He says, "If only I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, 'How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?'" (Stop reading the story at this point, and have your listeners recite that classic tongue twister a few times.)

Groundhog points out the layout of his burrow on a large poster, describes how he deals with predators, and shows off his fabulous teeth that can gnaw through roots and chatter loud enough to scare off enemies. Finally, he describes the details of his hibernation each winter. By the end of his lecture, your listeners may consider themselves marmotophiles and agree with him that February should be Groundhog Appreciation Month. The young groundhog reporter declares, "You're the Hog!" and on the final page, you'll see he's turned his notes into the very book you're reading.

TEACHING TIP: For teachers talking about personal narratives or factual writing, this delightful book incorporates both. Pre-February 2, go on over to www.groundhog.org, the official website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, to show footage of Punxsutawney Phil. Post February 2, pair it with other informative personal narrative picture books like Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Worm or Jackie French's Diary of a Wombat. Have them read up on an animal and write and illustrate a fact-filled monologue from that animal's point of view.

THEMES: ANIMALS. CROWS. GROUNDHOGS. HOLIDAYS. SEASONS. SHADOWS. SQUIRRELS. WINTER. WOODCHUCK.