TGIF! 🙂
Today I would like to share a book that I have been reading to my Kindergarten students all week. I think it is a perfect selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday sponsored by Susanna Leonard Hill!
How Groundhog’s Garden Grew
Written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry
Publisher: Blue Sky Press 2003
Audience: Ages 6-12
Themes: gardening, sharing, teaching, science
Opening: Little Groundhog was hungry. “Beautiful! Scrumptious! Irresistible!” he exclaimed as he crept into a neighbor’s lovely vegetable garden. He was nibbling on some fresh green lettuce when Squirrel rushed down from her tree. “Little Groundhog!” Squirrel scolded. “This food does not belong to you. If you take food that belongs to others, you will not have a friend in the world! Why don’t you plant your OWN garden?”
Little Groundhog admits that he does not know how to plant a garden, so Squirrel decides to teach Little Groundhog how to plant a fabulous garden filled with a variety of delicious vegetables. Little Groundhog learns about root crops, perreneals, vegetables that grow on vines, seedlings, and pollination. He is overjoyed as he watches his very own garden burst into life. Squirrel even teaches Little Groundhog how to cook his vegetables, and together they host a feast for all the animals of the forest.
Curricular Link: http://users.manchester.edu/Student/JLCollins/LitBlockLiteracyActivity/index.htm
This website includes activities for journaling, learning vocabulary from the story, sequencing events, and writing postcards to Little Groundhog.
Why I like this book: I paired this book with a nonfiction book about gardening for my Kindergarten classes this week. My students are learning about plants and vegetables, and they are planting a vegetable garden in our outdoor learning center.
This book is beautifullly illustrated. Lynne Cherry’s illustrations in How Groundhog’s Garden Grew are similar to those of Jan Brett’s in her many animal books. The book includes miniature pictures of vegetables and insects around the borders of several of the pages, and each two page spread is realistically drawn with attention to every detail.
The themes of this book also appeal to me. Squirrel teaches Little Groundhog to garden, and Little Groundhog learns how to be self-sufficient. He is so proud of himself at the end of the story, and he shares his feast with the other animals from whom he had previously been stealing vegetables. The book sends a great message to readers and it also includes a lot of gardening vocabulary.
Land of the Librarian 
As quite the non-gardener I really need to get my kids into this, so that they are! Thanks Kelly.
This book made me want to garden and I definitely don’t have a green thumb!
We’re about to start getting our vegetable garden going, so this would be a great book to share with my kids (and my son is in Kindergarten!).
I hope your kids love it. My kinders really enjoyed it this week!
A lovely book. Honestly, my husband could use this book as he’s trying his hand at gardening again. Perhaps this could be his inspiration.
My husband has a vegetable garden, too, but it is honestly kind of a mess! I would love to have a garden like Little Groundhog’s 🙂
What a fun gardening story just in time for spring. We’ve been trying to sprout a few things ourselves, so we’ll have to check this one out.
Have fun getting your garden going! I even learned a few tips from this picture book!
Another great pick! Love Jan Brett’s illustrations, so I’m sure it must be a beautiful book. I just checked out the resource link and like the author’s suggestions. Was nice to see a picture book for an older age group. Lots of books this week about nature and spring. It also carries a lovely message. I really like your classsroom activities and how you integrated the book into teaching about growing a garden. Your kids must love coming to class!
Thanks, Pat. I hope they do love coming-I think they do! After I read the book Friday, a little boy asked me if he could check out the book. When I gave it to him, he said, “Yes!” and jumped up and down-sooo cute!
The cover illustration is beautiful and this is the perfect time of year for this book! Thank you.
You are so welcome! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Love this book and as a gardner I love anything to do with planting veges and flowers. What a wonderful way to teach kids than hands on with book and practical lesson. As Pat says, the kids must love coming to class.
The kids are definitely excited about planting their garden, so this book was a hit this week. Thanks so much! 🙂
Is Little Groundhog’s “other name” Phyllis? 😉
The illustrations do look similar to Jan Brett’s (I really liked “The Mitten”). I like the idea of a groundhog planting a garden with the help of a squirrel! 🙂
Erik
Good question! 🙂 Check out the book-especially if you enjoy gardening. It is full of great tips. Lynne Cherry likes to include information in her picture books that you would find in a nonfiction book while still telling a fun story.
I love the sound of this book and all the themes you can touch on with children. The activities on the website are absolutely wonderful.
Thanks, Penny. I do think it includes some great themes, And perfect for springtime!
Hi Kelly! This book teaches a lot of values that children can learn from at their young age. I also like the fact that it has some environmental touch to it. Thanks for sharing!