Groundhog Day and a fast forward to April Fools

Well, I've got a girl power Groundhogs Day read for you all here today. It's the story of Punxsutawney Phyllis by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Phyllis is a young groundhog with a gift. She's also part of the famous family lineage of Punxsutawney Phil. The gift that she has is the family's weather predicting skill. Only problem is that this job has always been done by a boy family member not a girl. Phyllis does not let anyone hold her back though. She's determined to prove that she's got what it takes to be the next Punsutawney Phil Phyllis that is. It's a really well written story with lots of heart. The illustrations are bold, colorful and wonderfully detailed.

When I discovered Punxsutawney Phyllis at our library I also noticed April Fool, Phyllis also by Susanna Leonard Hill and Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler and decided to get them both even though April Fools is a ways a way. I'm so glad that I did. My two loved both these books and getting to know little, determined Phyllis. In this book once again Phyllis is putting her weather predicting skill to good use but her family thinks she's trying to pull an April Fools joke on them. It's one of the best and quite honestly only April Fools day reads I've read. The family of groundhogs have fun pulling pranks on one another throughout the day leading to their annual Spring treasure hunt. The pranks are quite clever and gave my two some fun insight into this odd little Holiday! I'm not much of a prankster so April Fools is usually a passing day but I think Phyllis and her brothers just may inspire me this year to have a little more fun!