
Gregory is a shy groundhog, and having his friend Shadow close by makes him feel brave. But one day Gregory and Shadow go outside to look for food, and they get separated. Scared and lonely, they search and search for one another. To make matters worse, tomorrow is Groundhog Day, and everyone will be waiting to see if Gregory and his shadow leave their home together. Will the two friends find each other in time for Groundhog Day?
"Freeman's adorable, loosely sketched illustrations are colored in a palette of blues for the snowscapes and earth tones for the underground scenes. The simple story line is just right for preschoolers." (
Booklist)
Customer Review: An interesting take on Groundhog Day
Skittish little Gregory Groundhog is used to having his Shadow follow him all the time, everywhere he goes. But on February 1st when Gregory ran back inside his house, he and his Shadow got separated. Each one searched for the other, and eventually they get together again, just in time for Groundhog Day. Gregory coaxed Shadow to hide closely behind him, unseen, so that winter would be soon over. This story is an interesting approach to Groundhog Day. The chalk illustrations lend texture to the pages, and even shadows -- an important part of the story -- are well portrayed. See my Listmania list for other recommendations on this topic.
Customer Review: Good for Older Children (4-5 years)
Gregory is a groundhog who loses his shadow. He and his shadow finally find each other and make a plan for Groundhog Day. This was a little too wordy for my class. I also think this is too abstract for the Three Year Olds I teach. They need to see the shadow stay to learn reality; the fantasy of the shadow and groundhog being separated just didn't make sense to them. But they liked the illustrations and played "catch the shadow"; a game they invented after the story time. Would be very good for Older Fours and Kindergarten age; especially ones in a good early learning program.
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