Sugaring Book

When Bonnie and Stella and Nora and her grandfather ate their maple sugar, I ate mine too. Yum!

Thanks to Goodreads' friend Gundula, I'm reading (and eating my way through) several maple syrup related children's picture books.

This is a lovely story, and should be especially enjoyed by those who appreciate grandchildren and grandparents stories and stories about horses. I love it when children's picture books are written with respect and here the story is worthy of a much longer book and of books for readers of all ages. The language is lovely and the cadence fits the story so well. And I love how the horses' welfare is taken into consideration. I also enjoyed how often the word special is used, and how the relationships and occurrences in this book do feel special.

According to the inside cover, this is the third story about Nora and her grandparents. Had I known that, it's likely I'd have read the first two books first. However, this is a fine standalone book; had I not read that it was a third book, I wouldn't have guessed there were other stories about Nora and her grandparents.

The illustrations have a wonderful old fashioned wintry feel, the movement and positions of the horses is terrific, and the maple syrup and sugar looks enticing, especially as it is being made.

4 ½ stars