The Missing Maple Syrup Sap Mystery

by Gail Gibbons

Mr. and Mrs. Mapleworth try to find out who is stealing the maple sap they are gathering to make maple syrup.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Anson Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this picture makes the book look jank, but it is such a sweet mystery!

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book, especially for those that live in New England. I just recently went to my first Sugar Shack, and what a wonderful and yummy experience that was! I love how this story incorporates how maple syrup is made through the telling of a mystery. I found myself smiling as I was reading and wondering, along with the characters, just what happened to the maple sap. This picture book is unique, because it breaks the story into chapters, which gives the teacher, if using this book as a read aloud, a great opportunity to engage the students with the story, with the mystery--and if the students are familiar with this process, a chance for them to add their insight.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story focuses on Mr. and Mrs. Mapleworth as they harvest and make maple syrup. When they discover that night after night their sap buckets are empty, they know they have a mystery on their hands. As this was written in 1972, it doesn't mention newer technologies used in harvesting maple syrup (such as plastic tubing/pipeline systems) but seeing how I do still see the metal sap buckets around, it is not entirely outdated either.

[Cws]

JE-Gib