Whistle Pig School: Groundhog Weather School by JoanHolub

HAPPY GROUNDHOG'S DAY!

I DO NOT SEE MY SHADOW. THAT MEANS SPRING IS HERE!

Rabbit takes the word of his friendly neighborhood groundhog seriously. "YAHOO!" he rejoices, as he joyously dons his tropical shirt and shades and clambers up out of his burrow to greet the spring.

SIGH!

Rabbit is greeted by a snowy scene and freezing weather. "I guess it's really hard to predict the weather," he grumbles sadly, and dashes off a letter to Weather Groundhog, suggesting he train some apprentices to help him gather more data for next year. "Hmmmm," says Professor Groundhog, who sees an opportunity to advance his profession here. Soon he's fashioned a catchy ad to attract students for his new venture:

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A WEATHER FORECASTER?

TAKE THIS QUIZ AND CHECK ALL THAT APPLY!

Requirements are stringent. Applicants must be mammals, rodents, furry, burrow-dwelling, and hibernation prone. More than a few good woodchucks make the cut, including one interloper, Skunk, who meets all the conditions except the last one. He tries bedding down by December, but January finds him wide-awake and hungry. Still, he sneaks into the matriculating class ("I'm an exchange student," he explains.)

With fresh shiny faces in line, Professor Groundhog's Weather School welcomes its freshman class for introductory lectures in GeHOGraphy, and the Prof takes them through the history of Groundhog's Day, the various names for their species (woodchuck, whistle pig) their habitat (Northeastern and central North America) and some famous icons of Hognostication--Punxatawney Phil of Pennsylvania, Pierre C. Shadeaux of Louisiana (actually a nutria, but hey, he's a Cajun sensation!) Buckeye Chuck of Ohio, Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh, North Carolina, General Beauregard Lee Lilburn of Georgia, and Staten Island Chuck of, of course, New York. "Is this going to be on the test?" whines one typical student.

But when the day for the Big Test rolls around, Professor Groundhog's class proves themselves, er, well-grounded in groundhog lore, and he's all ready to roll out his group prediction by the upcoming February 2 deadline. Will groupthink trump the Professor's call this year, or will Rabbit be disappointed yet again when he peeps out of his hole?

Joan Holub's brand-new Groundhog Weather School (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2011) provides a nifty way to take youngsters through a good deal of weather lore and information, all within the boundaries of a tongue-in-cheek tale that can brighten this year's Groundhog Day whether it's sunny or not. Prolific children's author Holub (The 100th Day of School (Hello Reader!, Level 2) combines her narrative skills with Kristin Sorra's arresting mixed-media art to make a book that kids will want to pour over for all the delicious tidbits of groundhog humor in both text and illustrations, joining Gail Gibbons' standard, Groundhog Day! and recent "hognosticators" such as Ten Grouchy Groundhogs, Go To Sleep, Groundhog! Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day! Punxsutawney Phyllis and Substitute Groundhog in the lineup of storytime tales for this just-for-fun holiday.

Oh, and Rabbit, just in case, pack earmuffs AND your sunglasses for that overnight on February 1. It IS hard to predict the weather!

Fooling Fox: Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby

ON THE SECOND DAY OF FEBRUARY, A
GROUNDHOG NAMED BROWNIE WOKE UP.

It's time to get up and off to work for Brownie, as she sleepily heads outside, toting a basket of snacks, on her annual search for signs of spring.

Her first sight, however, is not a bluebird or a budding blossom; it's a red fox, not exactly the sort of leading indicator she's hoping for.

"I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU'VE NOTICE ANY SIGNS OF SPRING?" SAID BROWNIE.

THE FOX'S TUMMY GRUMBLED. "YOU,"

But it's not meteorology on Fox's mind. It's breakfast, and he sees Brownie as a possible item on his menu.

But Brownie is now wide awake, and she quickly comes up with a ploy to fool the fox. Too late; it's way past breakfast time, she points out and manages to trick the naive fox into whetting his appetite with a bit of ice skating on the pond first. When Fox finally tires of this activity and wants to return to the main course, Brownie points out that it's now way past lunchtime and Fox will have to wait until dinner.

"I WANT TO EAT YOU NOW!" SAID THE FOX. "NO MORE WAITING!"

Brownie sympathizes, pointing out that groundhogs know all about waiting, as she leads him over to a tree and helps him get settled for the feast. Quickly she ties him to the tree with her red scarf and bids him a cheery goodbye.

"AAAAAAAAA!"

Fox sobs and whimpers pitifully, and Brownie sees that this may be a window of opportunity for a negotiation that will make her safe from Fox whenever she emerges from her burrow. Opening up her goodie basket, she makes him an offer she knows he can't refuse.

Susan Blackaby's new Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox (Sterling, 2011) offers a change of pace in groundhog stories. Brownie is no shy and shrinking spring violet, and Fox is not your usual wily trickster in this cheerful Groundhog Day saga. Blackaby's snowscape illustrations are deftly accented with touches of red, giving this slender tale of friendship found a warm and inviting look just right for midwinter story times.