Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Go To Sleep, Groundhog!
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 7
Holiday House, 2004 ISBN: 082341874X
It is Columbus Day, and as he does every year, Groundhog gets ready for his winter sleep. He brushes his teeth, he puts on his “jammies,” and he sets his clock for February 2nd. Every thing is just as it should be, except that Groundhog cannot fall asleep. Instead, he tosses and turns until, on “half-past October” he decides that he might as well get up. Perhaps a walk outside will help him get sleepy.
When Groundhog comes out of his burrow, he sees the most amazing things. He sees “Raggedy scarecrows and grinning jack-o-lanterns,” and children in costume. A Halloween witch sees Groundhog and she takes him back to his burrow. “You should be in bed!” she says. She reads him a ghost story and gives him a glass of apple cider to drink. Surely now Groundhog will be able to fall asleep. Or maybe not.
In this engaging holiday story, children will meet a groundhog who has all kinds of new adventures on holidays that he has never experienced before. Young readers will surely enjoy seeing how Groundhog manages to deal with his singular sleeping problem.
