Review - Almost Time

Almost Time
by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Date: 2020
Publisher: Clarion Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

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

(synopsis from Goodreads)

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:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5