Groundhog Day Books of Interest

  As we all know Groundhog Day is today February 2nd. It is an American and Canadian tradition that is celebrated every year. But many countries around the world have something similar. The day falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The day is also known as Candlemas Day for many. In midieval times the saying used to go that if the weather on Candlemas Day was fair, the second half of winter would be cold and stormy, but if the day was cloudy, the rest of the winter would be mild and spring would come early. For most of us in the U.S. we are getting hammered with snow. So my feelings is that we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter, even though the day is far from being fair in Michigan, lets talk blizzard white-out conditions shall we? Groundhog Day has turned into something that is more fun then actual truth. The groundhog is only right 37-39% of the time. But it is fun to see what Punxsutawney Phil is going to say every year.

Here are some books I encountered and read with my children that gives more of an understanding of what Groundhog Day is all about and how it began.

Punxsutawney Phyllis

The first book is a fun fictional story. It is about a groundhog named Phyllis who wants to take over her Uncle Phil's job as being Punxsutawney's Groundhog Day weather forecaster. Phyllis is different than her other family members and loves to play outdoors. When she realizes Spring is coming she tries to wake up Uncle Phil so he can make his forecast, but he is not as spry as he used to be so decides to pass down his legacy to another groundhog in his family. Will it be Phyllis?

There is also info in the back of the book which gives more factual information.

The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun

Now, this book is not a story at all, but a book full of facts, riddles and colorful illustrations. You learn a tremendous amount about Groundhog Day. More than what you could ever imagine existed. It explains the history of the groundhog, the reason for the seasons, how the groundhog lives under the earth, the beginnings of Groundhog Day, and so on... There are fun pictures and riddles. Overall, a great and informative book, but it's a lot to go through for younger children, it is mainly for children between the ages of 9-12. You will need to take breaks for the younger readers. But it does have some fun activities and crafts for all.

Hope you enjoy these books. Your local library should have these in stock. That is where I found mine.

Thanks!