Customer Reviews

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is a simple story of a young boy who goes to help his grandpa make maple syrup. The words and pictures powerfully evoke the sights, sounds and tastes of being in the woods. This book emphasizes not only the lore we can learn from grandfathers, but also the deeper knowledge that we can gain just from the experience of spending time with them.