Groundhog Day will be here before you know it! To help make sure you are prepared, take a look at these Groundhog Day books for kids and find one to share with your students.
You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each book or find all of these books about Groundhog Day on my Amazon page.
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GROUNDHOG DAY BOOKS
In no particular order, here are some great books to share with your students near Groundhog Day.
Who Will See Their Shadows This Year?
by Jerry Pallotta
It’s February 2 and all the animals are tired of winter. But why should the groundhog always be famous for seeing his shadow? Who else wants to try? A chicken? A polar bear? A camel? None of those seems quite right. So who will see their shadows this year?
Groundhog Weather School
by Joan Holub
Welcome to Groundhog Weather School! Ever wonder where Groundhog Day first began? Want to know the reason why we have different weather seasons? Curious about how some plants and animals can help predict the weather? Learn the answers to these questions and many more at Groundhog Weather School! This clever story—starring a cast of lovable groundhog characters—is a fresh, informative, and fun look at Groundhog Day through the eyes of the animals who are the stars of it each year.
Click here to download a few freebies to pair with this text.
The Night Before Groundhog Day
by Natasha Wing
The anticipation is building: Will the groundhog see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter? Get ready for this festive occasion with the countdown to Groundhog Day in this fun, rhyming story told in the style of Clement C. Moore’s holiday poem.
Note: This one is often included in the Scholastic Book Club flyers.
Groundhog Gets a Say
by Pamela Curtis Swallow
There’s so much more to being a groundhog than just putting on a show once a year, and Groundhog has decided it’s time to tell the world the Hog truth. With the help of a few of his fans, Groundhog is ready to tell everything about himself, from how loud he can whistle (loud), to how fast he can run (not fast), to how many things he uses his teeth for (a lot). Groundhog may be full of himself, but chances are good that, by the end of this book, you’ll agree he’s pretty wonderful!
Punxsutawney Phyllis (aka Wake Up, Groundhog!)
by Susanna Leonard Hill
It’s not often you come across a book known by two different titles, but this is one of them. Phyllis can’t convince Uncle Phil to get out of bed to make his prediction on Groundhog Day. When Uncle Phil realizes he has missed all the signs of an early spring, he knows it’s time to retire and pass on the title of Punxsutawney Phil, Only this time, it’s Punxsutawney Phyllis!
Click here to download resources and a writing craft to pair with this story.
Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off
by Pat Stemper Vojta
Mr. Groundhog tries to give his Groundhog Day duties away. He does not want to be blamed for six more weeks of winter anymore. He asks his friends to take on the responsibilities, but they are not interested. Instead, one by one his friends show him how he is perfectly suited to the role.
Groundhog Day
by Gail Gibbons
Will he see his shadow? Will spring come early or late? But most importantly– what does a groundhog have to do with the weather? Every year on February 2nd, people all across America watch groundhogs come out of their burrows– especially in the town of Punxsutawney– trying to figure out if the weather will stay cold, or begin to warm up.
Click here to download resources to pair with this text.
Groundhug Day
by Anne Marie Pace
Moose is having a Valentine’s Day party, and all his friends are so excited! Everyone except Groundhog, that is. If Groundhog sees his shadow outside, he’ll hide in his hole for six more weeks and miss the party! Determined to help their friend join them, Moose, Squirrel, Bunny, and Porcupine put their heads together and come up with a plan. But will it be enough to get Groundhog out to play?
Substitute Groundhog
by Pat Miller
It’s almost Groundhog Day! Everyone knows that Groundhog has an important job to do every February 2, but this year he’s not feeling well. Dr. Owl diagnoses him with the flu and orders two days of bed rest. But how will people know the weather forecast if Groundhog is down in his hole in bed? Then Groundhog has in idea―he can hire a substitute! Maybe Squirrel can be the substitute, or Eagle, or Bear. But at the substitute auditions, Groundhog realizes that none of his friends is quite right for the job. Will he be able to find a substitute or will Groundhog Day be cancelled this year?
Gregory’s Shadow
by Don Freeman
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?
Groundhog’s Day Off
by Robb Pearlman
Every year, people ask Groundhog the same, boring old question. Is spring around the corner? Or are we doomed to more winter? Sure, they care about his shadow, but what about him and his interests? He’s had enough! Groundhog packs his bags and sets out for a much-needed vacation. Now the town is holding auditions to find someone to fill his spot. None of the animals seem right for the job, though. Not Elephant, not Ostrich, and most certainly not Puppy. No one has Groundhog’s flair for the dramatic, but is it too late to woo him back into the spotlight?
Groundhog’s Dilemma
Kristen Remenar
After Groundhog announces six more weeks of winter, half his animal friends are disappointed, while the other half are excited. Each animal asks Groundhog to make his prediction in their favor the following year. Rather than being truthful about the fact that he just “calls it like he sees it,” he leads them to believe he can control the weather, accepting their gifts of food and favor. On the next Groundhog Day, he finally admits he made promises he couldn’t keep because he was trying to please everyone and makes amends.
Grumpy Groundhog
by Maureen Wright
It’s Groundhog Day, and everyone is gathered to find out if it’s time for spring. But Groundhog does NOT want to leave his cozy bed in his cozy den. Will the townspeople be able to coax him outside to do his job?
Ten Grouchy Groundhogs
by Kathryn Heling
This alliterative story is about a den of grouchy, grubby, gobbling, gabby, giggly, groovy, graceful, glitzy, gleeful, groggy groundhogs getting ready for their great big day.
Groundhog Gets it Wrong
by Jessica Townes
Groundhog is shocked and a bit ashamed when he discovers that he doesn’t have innate weather-predicting gifts—especially when his mis-forecast ruins the spring carnival.
First he tries fixing his mistake, but when shoveling up the snow and hosing it away turns out to cause more problems, he realizes that the only way to truly fix his mistake might just be to literally learn his meteorological lessons.
Phil’s Big Day: A Groundhog’s Story
by Liza Woodruff
It’s the night before Groundhog Day, and Phil can’t sleep. His family’s voices fill his head: It’s a family tradition! You’ll make us so proud! We’re all counting on you, you, you! Making pancakes usually sets Phil’s mind at ease, but before he can finish making this batch his little sister, Marla, joins him in the kitchen. She can’t wait for his big day and insists on helping him practice. She even teaches him a poem to help him keep things straight.
But when Phil’s big (scary) day arrives, his nerves take over and his mind goes blank. What had Marla said? If you see your shadow does it mean an early spring? Or is that if you don’t see your shadow? His worries are all coming true until he has an idea that saves the day.
Make sure to find your favorite groundhog books before turning the calendar page to February (or at least before your teacher friends borrow them all).
If you have a favorite Groundhog Day book that didn’t make the list, leave a comment so I can check it out!
You can find more of my favorite books to share with kids here.
Happy Reading!
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