At Grandpa's Sugar Bush [Hardcover]

Margaret Carney (Author), Janet Wilson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Alongside his grandpa, a young boy shares the tasks involved in making maple syrup the old-fashioned way. From tapping the trees to boiling the sap, the two spend many hours working side by side in the woods. Their reward is a delicious breakfast of pancakes and "the best syrup in the whole world." This is more than a story about syrup-making. It is the story of the grandfather's bond with nature and how he transfers this feeling to his grandson. Janet Wilson's rich oil paintings capture all the signs of spring's arrival in the sugar bush and the loving relationship between the boy and his grandpa.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1?In a clear, simple text, the author tells the story of a young boy and his grandfather enjoying their annual rite of making maple syrup on grandfather's farm in Canada. They drill the holes in the trees, gather the sap in buckets (no plastic tubing here), and cook it over an open fireplace. They enjoy tasting the sap, smelling its sweetness in the air as it cooks, and, finally, pouring the tasty syrup on grandma's pancakes. The realistic, brightly colored oil paintings glow with the beauty of the woods in early spring, and with the pleasure these two share in being together. The illustrations follow the process of making the syrup as it is described in the narrative, making it accessible to young children. This book is similar to Jessie Haas's Sugaring (Greenwillow, 1996). Together or separately, these books describe well a beloved family tradition in northern rural life.?Virginia Golodetz, Children's Literature New England, Burlington, VT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 3^-8. A young boy on his spring vacation travels to his grandparents' Ontario farm to help with sugaring season. Naturalist Carney details the wildlife found in the maple forest (including foxes, weasels, and pileated woodpeckers) and describes the steps involved in making maple syrup. Although the process takes many arduous hours over several days, the end result--fresh maple syrup on pancakes--is well worth the wait. Wilson's oil paintings convey the natural beauty of the sugar bush and emphasize the camaraderie between the boy and his grandfather during the details of sugaring. Similar to Jessie Haas' Sugaring (1996), this will be a useful addition to spring story hours. Listeners who want more specifics about the process may prefer Diane Burns' Sugaring Season (1990). Kay Weisman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550743414
• ISBN-13: 978-1550743418
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helping Out, September 21, 2000

By 

Michael S Roberts - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Grandpa's Sugar Bush (Hardcover)

Margaret Carney has taken me back many years with her writing. I remember the fresh maple surup candy that I used to get in the New England area. This story can demonstrate to students a way that children in different areas can help their family. It is also a wonderful book to share at the beginning of spring if you are in an area, or going to an area, that produces maple surup. I miss the woods and smells at that time of year (O.K. so I miss the maple sugar candy most). Enjoy this book and try to find time to visit an area that produces maple sugar.

4.0 out of 5 stars Family traditions unite generations, March 15, 2011

By 

Stephanie's Mommy Brain (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Grandpa's Sugar Bush (Paperback)

Here we have another story with a Grandpa and a child, this time a boy, as the main characters. This Grandpa and grandson take time to notice various wildlife around them while tapping the Maple trees; red squirrels, grosbeaks, and nuthatches, to name a few. Another difference is that the evaporator (giant pot to boil in) is located outside. Though the story is slightly different, the end result is the same - syrup is made and enjoyed together by the two generations.

I enjoyed this book also. I liked the inclusion of the wildlife as they gathered the sap. It helped you have a sense of being outdoors with the characters. I also enjoyed how the boy works with his grandpa to make the syrup together. I can easily see the illustrations being drawn from real family photos; though I don't believe they are.

5.0 out of 5 stars more than maple sugaring, March 10, 2010

By 

Nonfiction (Boston) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: At Grandpa's Sugar Bush (Paperback)

This book is great for teaching kids the basics of how maple sugar is produced. However, it is the relationship between the boy and his grandfather that really makes this book stand out. Kids learning from the wisdom of a grandparent who knows how to do complex tasks that require hard work and knowledge of the natural world is sadly a dying occurrence in today's world. Janet Wilson's paintings of both people and wildlife are also fantastic.