Almost Time

by Gary D. Schmidt, Elizabeth Stickney (Contributor), G. Brian Karas (Contributor)

A tender father-and-son story about the passage of time, the change of seasons, and the excitement of reaching a goal.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Food, Nature, Fiction, Family, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

Published January 14, 2020

About the author

Gary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about waiting. This boy is excited for the sap to start running so they can make syrup. The days have to get warmer, the nights have to get shorter. Every day it’s wait, wait, wait. Then his tooth gets loose and he has to wait for that to fall out too. But in the end we see time does pass and they do make their syrup.

I wasn’t crazy about the artwork. It feels more like a comic strip and it didn’t help the story for me. This is a beginning book for anyone.

I thought this was more of a winter book and this is about the coming spring and the snows melting. We have nothing to melt, sadly, so not the book I really wanted.

My nephew is about to lose a tooth right now, so he related to the boy in the story. He was also asking, when is the boy going to lose his tooth, over and over. My nephew has a hard time waiting. He gave this about 2 stars. He thought nothing much happens but waiting and breakfast and that’s boring. This tooth of his has been loose for at least a week. I do wonder how much longer it will hold out.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically I keep finding and reading books about patience and waiting. In this weird, new world, we’re all doing a lot waiting right now. And so is little Ethan and his teddy bear, Roosevelt. :)

Ethan is looking forward to homemade syrup for his pancakes, corn bread, and oatmeal. It’s almost time! But his dad says Ethan has to wait until the days get warmer and the nights get shorter. And for his loose tooth to fall out! Ethan has two things to wait for—his wiggly tooth to fall out and the sap to start running.

The slow passing of time is depicted in cute, simple, natural ways for young readers. The art beautifully illustrates the winter days sliding by in the color of the night sky and depth of the snow and the cold wind on Ethan’s face. As the story moves on, I could feel the disappointment and frustration and excitement of the wait building. I wanted to taste the syrup! My favorite part of the book though could be Roosevelt’s face. Haha…I think he wanted some syrup too.

After closing the book, I couldn’t help thinking and asking, does the wait and work add to the experience and flavor? Does anticipation make the reward taste better? In this case, how sweet it is!

A wonderfully, sweet story. Check this one out!

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Time is a sweet (pun intended) little story about a boy who's eagerly awaiting the year's fresh batch of maple syrup. He asks his father how long it will be until the sap starts running, and his father offers various answers that help the boy gauge the passage of time. Finally, after a lot of waiting, it's time for the sap to start flowing, the trees to be tapped, and the syrup to be boiled. Ethan gets his sticky treat... and it was worth waiting for.

The story is simple but understated. Some readers might wonder why Ethan's father didn't just go to the store and buy some maple syrup until their own was ready. It's not like they're living out in the middle of nowhere, with no access to grocery stores. Ethan does go to a regular school, after all. But I think the point here is the waiting, and learning to cultivate patience. This can be tough for kids, but Ethan's father helps him by giving him concrete examples with which to mark time (e.g., the sap will flow when the weather gets warmer and the days get longer).

I have to say that I wasn't really enamoured with the illustrations here. I think it might be the colour palette that's turning me off. The pictures look kind of dated to me, and I found myself more engaged in the lovely narrative than looking at the visual aspects of the book. Tastes will vary, of course, and there's nothing really wrong with the pictures; I just personally didn't love them.

Overall, Almost Time is a nice picture book with themes of patience and the passage of time. Kids who are familiar with maple-syrup country will probably find even more to like about this one, as they'll understand a little more about what's going on.

Quotable moment:

[DoRena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this sweet story about a little boy learning to wait. He waits for maple syrup, a loose tooth, and spring. The illustrations are perfect, adding depth to the story without distracting from the text. It is a favorite of my 4-year-old's, but bigger kids enjoy it, too. I've gotten it several times from the library and I've read it dozens of times, and I'm still happy to read again.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: When Ethan had to eat his pancakes with applesauce instead of maple syrup one Sunday morning, he knew it was almost sugaring time.

Premise/plot: Almost Time is a picture book about a young boy, Ethan, patiently and not-so-patiently waiting for maple syrup. Every day--or nearly so--he asks the same question, is it time? is it time? But sometimes--often times--the best things in life are things you wait for. Such is the case with maple syrup! This book does show--here and there--the process of how maple syrup is made.

My thoughts: I liked this one. Ethan seems like a good, sweet kid--a kid with a SWEET TOOTH. (And who can blame him?) Though not all readers will have experience waiting for maple syrup--of the homemade sort--plenty will relate to waiting for a loose tooth to fall out and start to grow back in. (Ethan also is waiting for this!) And of course the waiting for winter to turn to spring! (It lasts until it doesn't.)

[shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

yup

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story about a boy, his father, and learning to have patience.

When the boy sits down for breakfast and notices there is no maple syrup, he asks his father when they would have syrup. The answer: soon. The weeks go by, but still the sap is not running in the trees. He notices one of his teeth is loose, wiggling it out after a couple of days. When he jumps off the bus at home, he learns that the maple trees are running sap.

Gently told, Schmidt and his late wife set up this illustrated short story beautifully. It is nicely paced, with the boy's impatience palpable. His love and respect for his father is also evident.

Illustrations by G. Brian Karas were executed in pencil and digital color. They have as much charm as the story, bringing as much satisfaction to the reader as the last illustration of the boy after finishing his pancakes with syrup.

One to share during sugaring time, father and son storytime, a lost tooth, and patience.

Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every child who wishes for something that takes a long time, this story will ring true. A boy and his father have run out of maple syrup and he is eager for the sap to run so they can make a new batch. But it takes so long! Through the passing of everyday events, darkness and cold gradually give way to early spring with warming temperatures and more hours of daylight. And finally the sap begins running!
Told in easily understandable terms that children can relate to, and beautifully illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Muncha, Muncha, Muncha), this warm story of a boy and his father is a wonderful read-along for the study of maple sugaring and the slow arrival of spring.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary D. Schmidt and his late wife, writing under the name of Elizabeth Stickney, have penned a more intimate fictional account of sugaring and the wait for maple syrup. Almost Time (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, January 14, 2020) illustrated by G. Brian Karas is an endearing story about a boy and his father. It's about anticipation, patience and love set within the changing seasons.


My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so hard to wait - for maple syrup time AND for loose teeth! Gary and Anne's sweet text made me tear up and Brian Karas's charming illustrations are a perfect match.

A wonderful book for using in primary classrooms to show the maple sugaring process, or for all of us impatient for the next event or season.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tree blood

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy is waiting for the sap to run. Then it will be sugaring time.

He's waiting.

And waiting.

And then his tooth is loose.

And he's waiting for that, too.

[Tirzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about being patient and good lead-in for a lesson in tapping maple syrup. Although I have not used it for an actual storytime, I think kids would enjoy the story and it's the right length to keep little ones' interest.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that teaches kids how to wait.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the dead of winter when Ethan has to eat his pancakes with applesauce he knows they've run out of syrup. Each Sunday, there's something else to eat, all without syrup. Waiting for sugaring days is hard but Ethan marks the time by going to school, sledding, and waiting for his loose tooth to come out. Then the big day arrives; his tooth comes out and the sap is running! The next few days he helps his Dad tap the trees and boil down the sap. Then they enjoy their new batch of syrup.

A nice story about waiting, where syrup comes from, and the relationship between a boy and his dad. The artwork is fun, too.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book! This would be good for storytime.

[Amanda Walz · Rating 3 out of 5]

about time and waiting for something you are looking forward to.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, with a great introduction into maple syrup.

We were a bit confused about some of the structure of the book, but the illustrations made up for it.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five plus plus plus stars!! A book about waiting and sugaring...

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author so very much.

[Abby Johnson]

Ethan knows it's almost maple syrup time, but it's so hard to wait! This quiet picture book pays homage to maple syrup farms and the slow, gradual change of the seasons as Ethan waits for small changes that mean the sap will start running - the days will get warmer, the nights will grow shorter...

This is a perfect late winter book for sharing, especially if you have a maple syrup farm nearby (like we do!). I think it would have benefited from back matter explaining how we get maple syrup.

Pair with And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano or Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky for more books about the slow change of the seasons.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maple syrup yah

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a bit more than I did, but I appreciate having a seasonal book to go to about maple sugaring. I think my issues were that I didn't love the illustration style, and I felt like the payoff of finally getting to see him enjoy the maple syrup wasn't quite there. But the story is well done in terms of showing the changing season and the waiting and waiting for maple syrup to come. My three year old enjoyed it but seemed MOST interested by the teddy bear looking at the maple syrup on the back cover. Will return to it for wintertime reading though!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waiting is really difficult - especially when you're out of a favorite item. The young boy and his dad are waiting for the sap to run so they can make more maple syrup. He continues to play and enjoy winter but watches for the signs that syrup making time is here.
The text is easy to follow and the characters come to life on the pages.

[Sophie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about Patience. A little boy named Ethan is eager for "sugaring time" to make syrup with his dad. It begins with Ethan's long waiting season to have syrup. In each of his breakfast meals, he mentions that everything is served without syrup. He had pancakes with applesauce, cornbread with butter, oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, and finally eggs and toast. All without maple syrup. Ethan tried to stop thinking about it but it was too hard. He is told by his dad that the sap will not come until the nights get shorter, the days get warmer, and finally when Ethan's tooth comes out. When the day finally came, Ethan and his dad boiled the sap and finished the day with a plate of pancakes WITH maple syrup.
I thought this book was adorable to read and took me back to the times when I was impatient as a child. It felt like the days were so long, and it was like years until I got what I wanted when in reality, it was only a few minutes. This book is a great example of how it is so hard to be patient, but so worth the wait at the end.
The lesson that I take away from this book is about the patience we need to have with each person around us. I would use this book as an example that we may need to wait for good things to come and that may seem like forever, but that's okay. Speech Pathologists can use this as a lesson to plan and set goals and time frames at the child's level so that they can understand. This corresponds to the part in the book when Ethan gets a loose tooth and asks his Dad when his tooth will fall out. His father answers by saying that it will fall out when the sap is ready to start running. His father gives Ethan something else to look forward to that relates to the next exciting event in his life. This is how we as therapists should create goals for our children who have speech disorders. Parents come to Speech Pathologists to ask for help and a solution to their worries about their child. They do not necessarily need to be told what is wrong with their child, but instead what we can work on and what to do next.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan finds it really hard to wait for the maple sap to start running in the late winter. He knows the signs of the time approaching. It’s when he doesn’t have maple syrup for pancakes or oatmeal. His father explains that the days have to get warmer for the syrup to run as well as the nights getting shorter. Ethan thinks he notices it changing, but sometimes gets too eager like not wearing his winter coat anymore. When Ethan’s tooth gets loose, his father tells him that it should fall out around the same time as the sap starts running. Now Ethan has two things to wait for, but one that he can perhaps make happen a bit faster by wiggling it. Still, it takes some time for his tooth to loosen and for the weather to change. Then one day, it’s finally time both for maple syrup and for his tooth to fall out.

Schmidt and Stickney have created a classic tale about patience and waiting for things to happen. Ethan is wonderfully impatient and yet also able to wait, though not really without asking again and again about it. As the darkness refuses to lessen and the days refuse to warm, readers will understand his anticipation. The use of breakfasts to mark a lack of syrup is clever and homey, just to add even more warmth and love to the book. It’s great to see a book with a caretaker father which is not about the lack of a mother or being in a unique family. It’s particularly wonderful to see such a skillful and loving dad.

Karas’ illustrations capture the dark days of winter, the snow that refuses to disappear, and the slow process of the arrival of early spring. The darkness lurks against the warm yellow of the interior of the home, offering real contrast as the pages turn.

A sweet but not syrupy picture book about fathers, patience and food. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Shinae Wyckoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kiddo (4) is obsessed with this book. He wants to read it every day, and he calls it “waiting for maple syrup”. If I leave blanks, he can fill in almost every word. That is part of the genius of having such trimmed-down text.

Another advantage of the trim text: it leaves lots of room for interactive questions. For example: on one page, it says “Now Ethan had two things to wait for”, with an illustration of Ethan occupying himself to pass the time but looking a little unhappy ...what two things is he waiting for again? How does Ethan look- excited or frustrated? Why might he feel unhappy? Do you ever feel frustrated that it’s not time yet for something you’re looking forward to? Do you see the snow melting off the roof and the grass peeking through a little more? Etc etc.

I think it’s well-done. Visually engaging, concise and stimulating text, emotionally authentic.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Gary Schmidt's children's and YA novels, so when I saw this at the library I picked it up. Schmidt is a beautiful storyteller, so that is an obvious draw here. Compared to most picture books, it has a more clear and affecting narrative. I should also say that this story was co-written by Elizabeth Stickney. What's it about? Family. A father and son. Food. Waiting for the maple syrup to get ready to tap.

Then the boy has a loose tooth, and is waiting for the tooth to come out. So waiting might be the topic, but I would say the focus is about character, this father and son interacting with each other. GReatly enhanced by the sweet, warm illustration work by G. Brian Karas. You also get a good look at what most young people take for granted, that the food you buy in grocery stores sometimes is mad by human hands. And maple syrup comes from actual trees!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to wait, especially when it's ALMOST TIME for the sap to run and for the loose tooth to come out! Day by day, Ethan has to eat his pancakes, his cereal, cornbread, too, without syrup. Night by night, Ethan waits for some light to show that days were longer. And one time, he notices he has a loose tooth. Dad says it will fall out before long. Gary Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney (the pseudonym of Gary Schmidt's late wife) show the s.l.o.w trail that waiting takes when one waits for something very special, maple syrup and a tooth out! G. Brian Karas' illustrations show those ups and downs of a young boy waiting and his father's understanding. It's a sweet book!

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will resonate with readers who have difficulty WAITING. Ethan knows with the changing of the seasons it is almost time for sugaring - but how much time does he have to wait? His father gives Ethan things to look for or wait for such as the shorter nights and waiting for his loose tooth to fall out. Finally it is time and we are introduced to sugaring to make maple syrup. This book would pair nicely with @maxwelleatonIII recently released book Bear Goes Sugaring. This book will be a welcome addition to classrooms and libraries for our younger readers who have a hard time with the concept of time and providing real lie examples of what to look to pass the time.