Category: Winter

The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun by Wendie Old, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye (Suggested reading level: Grades 2-5) Tomorrow morning, I'll wake up to hear whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. I'm hoping, as always, that he doesn't. I'm not a winter lover. But why groundhogs and why February 2nd? This fun little book answers those questions and has a lot of other info packed in. It starts off with a description of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where the event has turned into a three day festival. It also gives facts about groundhogs, their lives and mating habits, and discusses hibernation. I found the most interesting chapter "The Beginnings of Groundhog Day." The author traces it's history, beginning with the spring festival, Imbolc, celebrated by the Celts in ancient Ireland through the day becoming St. Brigit's Day, eventually known as Candelmas. An old German saying is, When the bear sees his shadow at Candlemas, he will craw back into his hole for...

The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin (Suggest reading level: Ages 4-8) Yesterday was the winter solstice, the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which is why Amber (9) and I took a break from the book we're in the middle of to read The Longest Night. In the forest, the night is cold, dark and seems like it will never end. Several animals think they are stong enough or smart enough to wake the sun, but it turns out that a small, humble bird heralds the dawn. "The night is long and long," says a chickadee. "The sun is gone and gone. If not crow or moose or fox, then who? Who can bring back the sun?" "You," says the wind. "Only you." This is a beautifully written book, clear enough for younger children to understand, but the phrasing is poetic and conveys the mood wonderfully. You can feel how worried the creatures are, how they each think they are the ones...