Prolific children's author Kathryn Lasky tells the story of sugaring season - that "time between the seasons... when winter seems tired and spring is only a hoped for thing" - in this beautifully-written work of picture-book non-fiction. Her lyrical but informative text is paired with her husband Christopher G. Knight's photographs, and word and image together document the process whereby Vermont farm family, the Laceys, make maple syrup from the sap they gather from their sugar bush...

Published in 1983, Sugaring Time was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1984, and it's not difficult to see why. The text here is highly descriptive, with many beautiful passages about the natural world and the farm life of the Laceys. It's unusual for a work like this - the book is a text-heavy picture-book - to be honored by the Newbery committee, so I went in expecting something special, and was not disappointed. Naturally, as a maple syrup and maple candy lover, I found the book quite interesting, and I came away with a greater appreciation for all the hard work involved in creating these treats. I also came away with an appreciation for the role that horses - the Laceys owned two large Belgian workhorses, Jumping Jack and Tommy, seen in the photograph on the cover - still play on some farms. Recommended to anyone looking for works of non-fiction about sugaring off, as well as to Kathryn Lasky fans. ( )

A lovely, cozy book about maple sugar season on a farm in New England. The photos are wonderful. ( )