GREGORY’S SHADOW

Freeman’s talents in Corduroy (1968) earned his beloved bear a permanent place on the shelf of favorite storytime characters. Prior to his death in 1978, Freeman had completed work on a final picture book with another shy, charming main character, Gregory the groundhog. Gregory’s best friend (and constant companion, of course) is Shadow, an anthropomorphic apparition in blue who sticks close to Gregory and helps him feel brave enough to face the terrors of the world. When Gregory is frightened by the looming shadow of a scarecrow, the little groundhog runs home lickety-split, leaving his shadow behind in the snow. Gregory searches for Shadow, and Shadow searches for Gregory, with a humorous reunion in a spooky old barn, where Gregory is sure that Shadow is a scary blue ghost. They return home just in time for Groundhog Day and devise a plan to please the local farmers who are waiting to see if they must suffer through six more weeks of winter. (Shadow sticks so close to Gregory that his shadowy blue outline can’t be seen.) The story is slight but still satisfying, with a clear explanation of Groundhog Day on the first page that will work well in elementary classrooms or library story-hours. Shadows are often studied in the early grades as part of science lessons on light, so Gregory’s story will be useful as related literature in that context as well as a read-aloud in late January and early February. There aren’t many successful picture books about either Groundhog Day or shadows in general, so larger public- and school-library collections will want to give Gregory (and Shadow) a home next to Corduroy, Dandelion, and Beady Bear. (Picture book. 4-8)