Almost Time

It is breakfast time on a deep winter morning when Ethan comes to the table only to find applesauce instead of maple syrup on his pancakes. If they were out of syrup, it must be almost time for the maple trees to be ready to be tapped for their sugary sap. But morning after morning, there is still no syrup and Dad keeps saying it’s almost time, but not time yet. The nights are still long and the air is still too cold to release the sap. One morning, Ethan bites into a walnut and discovers he has a loose tooth. Now he has two things he has to wait for, and patience is not his strongest quality. But, ultimately, good things come to those who wait, and this lesson is not lost on Ethan or the readers.

Authors Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney have written a sweet text that teaches a good lesson, although the repetition of breakfast scenes gets a little old. Illustrator G. Brian Karas uses soft colors with a fun, cartoonish style with lots of details that complete the story and will keep young readers’ eyes on the pages.