Community Corner
Local Celebrity Groundhog Essex Ed Featured in New Children’s Book
Children's book on our local season prognosticator and his long-held parade tradition just published!
Essex Ed may not be the most famous groundhog in the world but he is the biggest, and he certainly is a celebrity with a deep-rooted history in Connecticut. Now there’s a children’s book on our local season prognosticator and his long-held parade tradition.
Essex Ed’s Groundhog Day Parade tells the story of Essex Ed, who loves holidays and parades but misses his favorite one, Halloween, because of hibernation. Every year, Ed dresses up in fun, new costumes but falls asleep in late October, as most groundhogs do, and snoozes through Halloween. In this story, there’s a surprise.
A WHOOSH! BANG! CLANG! BAM! surprise makes Ed realize that, when you’re rested, what you experience when you’re awake is better than what you may miss while sleeping, a moral that parents appreciate, and children can learn via this beautiful and upbeat story.
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In real life, Essex Ed has led the Groundhog Day Parade in Essex Village for over four decades. At this annual appearance, Ed reveals his secret identity. Parade-goers beat the winter doldrums by beating their own drums (or pots, pans, spoons and spatulas) and even don their groundhog gear to cheer for the groundhog and spring.
This independently published book, based on a true character and parade, is beautifully illustrated by artist Mina Hamamoto Mohtasham, an instructor at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. Mohtasham received her BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2021 and has received numerous awards and honors. She resides in Essex.
Find out what's happening in Essex-Chester-Deep Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The author, Susan Cornell, is a freelance writer, editor, photographer, and marketing and public relations consultant who lives and works in Essex.
Essex Ed’s Groundhog Day Parade (ISBN: 9798840622902) is available online at Amazon.com as well as at various establishments including the Connecticut River Museum, The Griswold Inn Store - Goods & Curiosities, Privateers Pizza and Provisions, and Toys Ahoy!
Ed’s book is adorable, positive, fun, upbeat, encouraging, and makes a great gift! Get your copies today before they go into hibernation!
