Friday, January 29, 2010

Groundhog Weather School


Booklist (November 15, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 6))
Preschool-Grade 3. When the annual Groundhog Day forecast proves inaccurate in Rabbit’s locale, he encourages Professor Groundhog to open a weather school with students from around the continent. Soon they gather to begin their lessons in GeHOGgraphy, Famous Furry HOGnosicators, nature’s weather predictors, burrow construction, seasons, and shadows. Finally, they graduate and head back home to hibernate until the big day. Although a good bit of information about groundhogs is tucked into the text, captions, and speech balloons, the approach is so varied and so often witty that children will absorb the facts effortlessly. One clever double-page spread shows six animals checking off whether they have what it takes to be a weather forecaster (i.e., a groundhog), while another shows four students in panels, month by month, from October to February 2. The amusing illustrations, colorful paintings digitally collaged with found objects and papers, set the tone for this inviting introduction to groundhogs and the holiday named for them.

1 comment:

Rachel Taylor said...

I want to read this one! Thanks for keeping such a great blog!