Groundhog's Runaway Shadow

Cute story about a runaway shadow. Not just any shadow, but the Groundhog's, which you need for groundhog's day. But other than that, the shadow is a wild and crazy sort of shadow, and the groundhog is not.

Lovely pictures from around the world, as the groundhog's shadow has fun without him.

Cute, how in the end, they reunite, but the shadow still is its own person.

Super cute story! I loved the unique ideas and the fun illustrations!

As a teacher of Grade 2 students, Groundhog Day is something we discuss in our class, but I have to admit – there are very few witty and engaging books about it!

Immediately, I thought that the illustrations were well-done and provided rich detail that could be examined during a picture walk. Oral language and learning to observe is so important, especially for young learners. I think that wonderful discussions will come from just viewing the pictures of this book.

David Biedrzycki’s storytelling is quite clever and original. He provides us with a light-hearted look at the ‘friendship’ that Phil has with his Shadow, but there is so much more waiting to be discovered.

This would be a great story to read after asking students to write about where the groundhog’s shadow goes or why he can’t always see it – I would love to have my students present their ideas on this concept! For this reason, I think “Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow” could act as great mentor text. However, the story also provides a great jumping-off point for character-building classroom discussions. How are our friends similar/different from us? Do we have to be exactly the same in order to be friends? How do we learn to appreciate our differences or what can we learn from those who are different from us? How do we respond when friends act in a way that we don’t like or that makes us feel uncomfortable? What could Phil have done differently? It also sets up a great discussion about what we ‘want’ to do vs. what we ‘need’ to do/being responsible and how we find a balance between the two, so that we neither run amok nor forget to have fun.

We teachers can turn just about anything into a lesson, can’t we?! Luckily, with this tale, we are provided with plenty of material for several of them!

I will definitely be adding this one to my book collection, while encouraging fellow teachers to do the same (otherwise, I will never be able to find my copy, since they will want to borrow it, no doubt)! I look forward to sharing it with my class on February 2nd!

Phil and his shadow do everything together. As they grow up, his shadow starts to try new things. He wants to travel and be silly, it seems he does not grow up the same as Phil. Phil gets tired of his shadow always being there so in an upset moment, tells him to get lost. That night Shadow slips away and travels the world having adventures without his pal to share them with. Meanwhile, Phil misses his shadow and sets off to look for him. Of course, the shadow is a metaphor for a best friend. The message in the story is that true friends, will get mad at one another, have different interests and sometimes just want to be alone, but they always find each other. The illustrations also done by David Biedrzycki are cute and funny. Children will relate well to them and to this story. A great book for all libraries, public and elementary school.

This is one of the best books I've seen relating to Groundhog Day. It is an engaging story about the adventures of the groundhog's shadow,who is far more adventurous than the groundhog himself. Beautiful illustrations, too!

Having a shadow can be fun, but also annoying. It gets worse when the shadow decides to travel without his owner. The hunt is on to reunite these two. A fun story, even when it's not February.

Groundhog loved to play with his friends. One of his friends also happens to be his shadow. Shadow isn't like other shadows. This shadow plays with the friends, eat with them and sometimes annoys Groundhog. Finally groundhog has had enough and tells shadow that he should go away. Shadow has always wanted to travel, so he decides to set off on to his own. Groundhog begins to miss his friend shadow and begins to search for him.

This is a fun book. The groundhog and his shadow is awell-known theme for schools in Jan/Feb, but there isn't much good literature to accompany it. This was creatively done and includes great illustrations. In addition to being a great book to use for Groundhog Day, it also teaches a lesson that can be used any time of year. In this case, the groundhog wants to be away from his shadow because it is getting on his nerves. This story illustrates that sometimes people need some space for a time-out and that we should learn to be tolerant of others who are not quite like you.

This is definitely a book I would use in class, as well as purchasing for young loved ones. Highly recommend.

This is a fun story with wonderful illustrations.

Lovely humorous book on shadows which will bring smiles to every reader.
Excellent illustrations.

Fun, creative tale about Phil and his Shadow. Phil is good with sticking to the status quo, but Shadow is not and soon Phil finds out what happens if his shadow disappears. Beautifully illustrated and will give you giggles.

Have you ever had a friend who did everything with you? Isn't it fun to have a friend like that? Well, it is at first, but sometimes you can get a little tired of never having any alone time. And what about when that friend does things that really annoy you or embarrass you? (It doesn't have to be a friend, it could be a brother or sister.)

Groundhog has his shadow and it is always with him. They laugh and cry and run and jump and eventually grow up. But Phil thinks his shadow is not acting the way an adult groundhog should act, so one day he tells him, "I wish you would just go away." And his shadow does. It's very peaceful and quiet after that, because Shadow is off exploring the world and Phil is at home being a responsible adult groundhog. Will the two of them ever get back together?

This is a great story for anytime of year, not just on Groundhog's Day. It is perfect for anyone who has ever thought that they outgrew a friend or were tired of a friend, then wished they had that friend back. There is also plenty of room for discussion about "Be careful what you wish for."

The illustrations are very funny and add extra pizzazz to a story that is very humorous all on its own. The scenes of Shadow burping loudly at the dinner table, or pointing to Phil and calling out "P U" when he passes gas are hilarious and sure to appeal to those who like jokes involving burps and similar situations. The illustration of Phil enjoying a scary movie all decked out in his 3-D glasses while Shadow is screaming and waving his hands in the air in terror was great. It would also be fun to map out all the places that Shadow visits, like the Great Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. And, of course, kids will laugh when they see that sometimes Shadow is nowhere to be found on February 2nd. I would love to have kids draw their own pictures with their shadow and see what they choose to have their shadow doing.

Highly recommended for elementary grades and those who are forever young at heart.

Everyone has a shadow. In fact, your shadow may be you first "friend." It goes everywhere with you, and is there even when you can't see it! But what happens if you and your shadow don't get along...?

Enter Phil the groundhog (yes, that Phil) and his shadow. In Groundhog's Runaway Shadow, David Biedrzycki explores what happens when the groundhog and his shadow can't agree.

The story: Phil and his shadow like to do some things together. They also have some different opinions on other things. Things come to a head when the shadow wants to travel and Phil doesn't (apparently this is a dealbreaker). Will Phil be able to get by without his shadow? Where does the shadow go? Thankfully, the story wraps up in a heartfelt, happy way and Phil and his shadow are never again to be parted (except sometimes on February 2nd).

The art: I was not familiar with David's work before reading this book, but I really enjoyed the colors and the style. Phil has some great expressions and moments in the story, as does the shadow (who really likes to eat tacos!). The other animals that populate the world each have their own distinct personalities, and the whole book has a Zootopia flavor to it that I really enjoyed.

Don't Take My Word for It: As part of the review, I read this one to my 3-year-old. She liked the story, and thought the shadow was "pretty silly." Plus she now has a reference point for Groundhog's Day. As a parent, I also appreciated the message of tolerance: you can be friends with someone even if you don't always like the same things.

With a great story and excellent art, this children's book is one you can read over and over and over...get it?

This is a fun picture book that shows how Groundhog and his shadow have different likes and dislikes. When Shadow gets fed up with doing everything Groundhog wants, he runs away and Groundhog must find him to make amends. A fun adventure for children and those who read with them.

This book was so funny. It'll be a nice book to have for Groundhog's Day since it's not your run of the mill Groundhog's Day book. But the kids will like it enough that it won't be sitting on the shelf 11 months out of the year.

Phil and his shadow do everything together until Phil gets tired of his shadow following him everywhere. Shadow packs up and leaves, but true friends have ways of finding each other.
Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow, written and illustrated by David Biedrzycki, is a great book to share with children this Groundhog’s Day. With an engaging story, and funny illustrations, children are sure to giggle as Phil tries to find his shadow. This would be a great story to share in classrooms and children could come up with their own stories about where the groundhog’s shadow might go if he didn’t see it on Groundhog’s Day.

Groundhog's shadow can have a mind of its own. One day, Groundhog is annoyed by his shadow and tells it to go away, so it does. Then he notices his shadow is having fun without him. Will Groundhog be able to find his shadow again? This is a pretty cute story with lots of funny illustrations.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.