David Biedrzycki is the author and illustrator of the Breaking News
series, the Me and My Dragon series, and the Ace Lacewing, Bug
Detective series. He has also illustrated many picture books,
including THE BEETLE ALPHABET BOOK and DORY STORY by Jerry
Pallotta. David lives in Medfield, Massachusetts.
From the eBook edition.
A groundhog mutiny! Will Phil's shadow ever return? Phil Groundhog
is so fast the only thing that can keep up with him is his shadow.
When he was little, doing everything together was fun for both of
them. But now that Phil's grown up, he's left behind childish
things, carrying a briefcase and wearing a tie. "Shadow, not so
much." When Phil plays the accordion, Shadow wails out on a
trumpet, not always on key. At a nice restaurant, Shadow fills the
air with burps. Finally, Phil loses his temper and tells his shadow
to "just go away!" Shadow is crushed, then angry, then realizes
that he's always wanted to travel; off he goes. But while Shadow is
checking out the pyramids, Phil is searching high and low to find
him. He posts signs and puts an ad in the newspaper, to no avail.
One day Phil sees an article about a mysterious shadow near the
Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile, after all the initial excitement, Shadow
realizes that he's lonely too. Phil and Shadow find each other for
a buoyant musical reunion, Phil on accordion and the shadow on
trumpet. Biedrzycki's fable on friendship comes to hilarious life
with his bold, colorful, loopy illustrations, done in Adobe
Photoshop. His judicious mix of panels and full-bleed spreads
expertly controls the book's pacing. Delightful.
- Kirkus Reviews
Punxsutawney resident Phil, a furry brown groundhog, and his shadow
have been constant companions but are growing apart, both in terms
of personal proclivities ("Phil loved scary movies. Shadow, not so
much") and all-around outlook ("Phil liked to be on time. Shadow
liked to stop and smell the roses"). Biedrzycki (Breaking News:
Bears to the Rescue) maximizes the differences between Phil and
Shadow by giving the groundhog and his fellow animals an almost
three-dimensional roundness, setting them in a carefully detailed
and brightly colored world. Shadow, meanwhile, is rendered in flat,
fuzzy-edged, gray-blue silhouettes, though that doesn't stop him
from flirting with a rabbit on the subway or letting loose a giant
burp while Phil quietly eats dinner. After matters come to a head,
Shadow decamps to explore the world, eventually leading a
remorseful Phil to seek out his absent companion. The somewhat
drawn-out story can seem more like a platform for Biedrzycki's
comic vignettes of Shadow's outsize behavior, but the Groundhog Day
references are kept to a minimum, making this a story that could be
enjoyed any time of year.
- Publishers Weekly
Ask a Question About this Product More... |