Almost Time

Ages 4 to 7, Grades P to 3

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

Eager for maple syrup, Ethan can’t wait till sugaring time rolls around. And he can’t wait till his loose tooth falls out. But his father keeps telling him it’s not time yet, and no matter how hard Ethan tries, he can’t make time pass more quickly. The closeness of father and son is evident throughout as they wait together and then celebrate the end of waiting. The brief, lyrical text is illuminated by G. Brian Karas’s beautifully composed, evocative illustrations.

About the Author

Gary D. Schmidt is the best-selling author of Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He is a professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Visit him online at hmhbooks.com/Schmidt.

Elizabeth Stickney is the pseudonym of Anne Stickney Schmidt, the late wife of writer Gary D. Schmidt. The author of poems, essays, and picture books, she spent her childhood winters in Maine and waited eagerly for sugaring time.

G. Brian Karas is the award-winning author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books. He lives in upstate New York. Visit him online at www.gbriankaras.com and on Twitter @gBrianKaras.