From Maple Trees to Maple Syrup
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\ Children's LiteratureA "First Facts" book in the "From Farm to Table" series, this book appeals to a wide reading audience with fresh information, clear harvest and production processes explanations, and photographs. Readers view what looks like a family-operated sugarbush harvesting in Vermont. A horse carries along the tank into which the sap is poured. Close-ups show the drills or drill-plus-hose and the large flat vats from which water is boiled off. Unfortunately, the steam obscures the workings and text doesn't explain what readers are viewing (Is that foil? Why? Where's the syrup?) Also pictured are filtering, bottling, and at last, a supermarket shelf on which several brands of maple syrup are displayed (including Karo syrup which is corn based, not tree based). While the process is clearly delineated, the pictures are not as well chosen as other books in the series. Text ends with a note about a sugaring festival in Ontario, Canada, a recipe ("ask an adult...") for maple sugar candy hardened on snow, glossary, index, several other maple sugar titles, and a hosted Internet site. 2005, Capstone Press, Ages 7 to 10. \ —Susan Hepler, Ph.D.\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalGr 1-3-Each of these easy readers introduces the basic concepts of food production, distribution, and consumption. Simple sentences in large type are accompanied by clear color photos of the food being harvested, processed, and consumed. Children will enjoy the easy-to-make recipe in each book as well as the "Fun Facts," such as "A healthy sugar maple tree can live more than 200 years." Although the "Where to Find..." chapters in Oranges and Peanuts state that orange juice and peanut butter are sold at gas stations, which is somewhat confusing, these attractive titles are useful for reports and for learning new facts just for fun.-Kristina Aaronson, Henniker Community School, NH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \
