Cute and adorable story about peer pressure and doing the right thing. ( )

*Groundhog, Friend, Dilemma, Honesty, Paperback

What's a groundhog to do? Every time February 2 rolls around, half of Groundhog's friends are disappointed, and the other half are happy. Groundhog doesn't control the weather. He just calls it like he sees it, but his friends don't understand.

Throughout the year his friends bring him presents and bribes hoping to influence Groundhog's next prediction. As the days grow colder, Groundhog still doesn't know what to do. After a long, fitful sleep, Groundhog emerges on his big day. What will he do? Tell the truth or give in to the bribes? Check out this charming holiday book to find out for yourself.

The Bottom Line: Remenar's first picture book is a hit with themes of friendship and honesty. Faulkner's illustrations in watercolor, pencil, and gouache with soft tones are visually engaging for kids in Pre-K – Grade 1. Highly recommended for story time discussions.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA by Kristen Remenar is a beautifully illustrated picture book exploring the themes of peer pressure, friendship, and honesty.

Groundhog is concerned about disappointing his friends when he announces six more weeks of winter. After being approached by various animals with different perspectives, he decides that telling the truth is the best path.

The richly colored pages with large, attractive characters will appeal to children. The use of speech bubbles lend themselves to a read-aloud approach using varied voices.

Librarians will find this book to be a popular addition to their “Groundhog’s Day” holiday book collection for early elementary children. The themes of peer pressure, friendship, and honesty will ring true with young readers.

To learn more about the author, go to http://kristenremenar.com/.
To learn more about the illustrator, go to http://www.mattfaulkner.com/.

Published by Charlesbridge on December 1, 2015. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )