Published by Clarion

Summary:  When Ethan’s dad serves him his pancakes with applesauce, Ethan knows they’ve run out of maple syrup.  Dad tells him that they’ll have to wait for the days to get warmer and longer before they can make more.  In the meantime, Ethan discovers a loose tooth, and waiting for the tooth to fall out and sugaring season to begin get tied together in a mood of anticipation.  One day, at long last, the tooth falls out, and when Ethan gets off the school bus to show his dad, he realizes that the buckets are on the maple trees as well. For the next week, father and son work to collect and boil sap, and on Sunday morning, Ethan enjoys his reward–pancakes with maple syrup.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect late winter book to start conversations about making maple syrup and the difficulty of waiting for exciting events.  The charming illustrations and warm father-son relationship make this a perfect book for sharing.

Cons:  Seems like dad could have sprung for a bottle of maple syrup to tide them over until sugaring season.  No one in this day and age should have to eat pancakes without maple syrup.

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