In this hurried world, Jody Shapiro's lovely book "Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time" (beautifully illustrated by Kitty Harvill) captures perfectly the warmth of extended family life and the wonder of new experiences. It's a simple story told in sensory rich language; giving us red, green, yellow and pink apples, "cool and crunchy and sweet," with evocative names like Anna, Stark Red, Winesap, Arkansas Black and Winter Banana. Along with Myles and Amber-the brother and sister in the story-- we breathe in the perfume of apple cider and "fresh-baked apple dumplings, floating like islands in a sea of milk".
But, best of all is the time spent with family, picking and selling apples, and lying on a rug in front of the fireplace at the end of the day, when Grandpa plays his old jazz records and everyone dances.
"Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time" has become one of my two-year-old grandson's most requested stories. Together, we've picked (Gordon)apples from a backyard tree and made "Granny's Microwave-Baked Apples," using the delicious and foolproof recipe at the end of the book. This is a book to share with a child you love.