Townes, Jess. Groundhog Gets It Wrong. Illustrated by Nicole Miles. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-32615-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Groundhog’s family tree is full of meteorologists. Now it is his turn to announce his prediction on February 2, about whether winter will persist or if spring will make an early appearance. Dressed in a tuxedo, Groundhog goes on stage and declares that winter is over, since he saw no shadow. The happy townspeople put away their winter things and plan a spring festival, but become extremely disgruntled when a major snowstorm hits the town the next day. The woodchuck tries to make amends by clearing the snow, but only makes matters worse when the streets turn icy. Sadly he leaves town seeking a new career, but returns to his burrow when the jobs don’t work out. Once home, the critter realizes that predicting the weather is not a natural talent, but requires study. After taking classes and reading a lot of books, the community weatherman is ready to return to the family business. Will he find success? The digital illustrations by Miles are colorful and amusing.

THOUGHTS: This picture book is a great read aloud and is a worthwhile purchase to freshen up your Groundhog Day collection.

Picture Book