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(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Chris Appelhans.
A greyhound and groundhog frolic playfully in this wonderfully illustrated, lyrical tongue-twister of a picture book. "A round hound, a grey dog, a round little hound dog. / A greyhog, a ground dog, a hog little hound dog." The words are as spare as the pencil and watercolor brushstrokes, and both--like the delightful butterflies the animals encounter--are quietly astounding.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7524-0$15.99
(2)
K-3
A woodchuck at school for show-and-tell brings together a shy first grader named Chuck and his classmate Caroline. Caroline describes the ways Woodchuck goes out of his way to get her attention on Chuck's behalf. Chuck eventually finds his voice, in a sweet and satisfying way, and a three-way friendship is formed. Clear, unfussy ink and digital pictures illustrate the humorously fantastical story.
(3)
K-3
As a child, Phil the groundhog was always in sync with his shadow. But when Phil grows up, Shadow's annoying antics drive the two apart. When Shadow steals away to exotic lands, Phil realizes how dull his life is now and searches far and wide for his companion. The humorous Photoshop art includes clever details in a mix of full pages, spreads, and paneled sections.
(2)
1-3
Woodchuck sculptor Chuck and Scooter Possum, a painter, prepare for the Best of the Forest art contest. However, green-eyed jealousy and self-doubt creep in for Chuck. Eight short, episodic chapters, each creating a separate but connected scene, help newly independent readers with stopping and starting points. Numerous earth-toned watercolor and pencil illustrations accentuate the characters' emotions.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
(4)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
Woodchuck Chuck and his forest-animal friends spot a freshly baked pie cooling in a window. As each tries to reach the treat, the text repeats a simple pattern ("Can Rabbit get the pie? / No, he cannot!"). Though the resolution is pretty slight (think: teamwork), the story is easily digestible for brand-new readers. Schories's watercolors depict a cozy backyard and cuddly critters.
24 pp.
| Holiday
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3066-6$14.95
(3)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
While playing with littler field critters, woodchuck Big Chuck finds a pair of pants (astute observers will notice a doll in her underpants) and takes them for a spin. "You are too big, and the pants are too small." But he runs and climbs in them anyway, and "Pop! Rip!" The repetitive, simple text points new readers to Schories's abundant kid-perfect visual gags.
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Jon Agee.
An overly fastidious woodchuck finds his tidy life disrupted by the arrival of a child--not his and his wife's, but a demanding, ungrateful human toddler they find abandoned outside their burrow. This funny commentary on parenthood is blithely genteel even as it encompasses some hard realities. Humorous and lively, Agee's sketches add child appeal to a tale that might otherwise verge on the adult.
32 pp.
| Sterling
| January, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4027-4336-8$14.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Carmen Segovia.
On February second, Brownie the groundhog goes looking for signs of spring. Instead she finds a hungry fox. Brownie manages to outwit the inexperienced fox; what's more, she discovers he's not bad company. Brightened by sky-blue and fox-red, the illustrations for this humorous tale set the wintry scene well and help create distinctive personalities for the two animals.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| April, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2270-8$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jeffrey Ebbeler.
Thinking Punxsutawney Phyllis's April first blizzard warnings are a prank, the town goes ahead with its spring treasure hunt; throughout the story are clues readers can follow. When the groundhog kits are caught in a snowstorm, it's clever Phyllis who leads them back to the burrow. The accompanying brown-hued acrylic illustrations are rich in detail and texture.
32 pp.
| Cavendish
| November, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-5714-5$12.99
(3)
K-3
Mouse gets his hoped-for reaction after stealthily tickling Gus the groundhog with a feather: "Gotta scratch my BAA-AA-ACK!" Gus grabs a stick, which turns out to be a snake. The scenario repeats twice more with Gus mistaking a porcupine for a bush and an alligator for a log. Finally, Gus's friends scratch his itch. Olson's illustrations effectively expand the humorous text.
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Flavia Gág.
Illustrator Wanda loves to draw the vegetables in the family's beautiful garden, all laid out in choice patterns and with due regard for colors. But woodchucks Pudgy and Charles also love the garden--and they know all the tricks for getting in. In this cheery book, readers are shown the many ways that the tender-hearted Gág family tries to rid itself of the hungry guests.
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Greg Call.
After his father is "dadnapped," it's up to Jimmy and his friends to save Earth from the apparent culprits: woodchucks from outer space. The book features likable odd characters and a gentle environmental message. While not as all-out campy and clever as M. T. Anderson's Whales on Stilts, this zany, fast-paced adventure will attract a similar readership.
32 pp.
| Soundprints
| May, 2003
|
TradeISBN 1-59249-022-0$$15.95
|
PaperISBN 1-59249-024-7$$6.95
(4)
K-3
Smithsonian's Backyard series.
Illustrated by
Higgins Bond.
Groundhog leaves his mother and siblings and digs his own burrow nearby. The illustrations feature a realistically rendered creature exploring a suburban backyard and garden, eating beans, encountering the family dog, and defending himself. The text sticks with the animal's point of view, but the illustrations take a few missteps.
32 pp.
| Viking
| December, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-670-89328-5$$15.99
(4)
PS
This posthumous offering tells the story of Gregory Groundhog and how he mistakenly becomes separated from his shadow the day before Groundhog's Day. Luckily, the two are reunited and band together to cheer the anxious farmers looking for them the next morning. This gentle tale, with its soft, sketchy artwork, is weak but has an old-fashioned appeal.