In the heart of Muskoka, where maple trees stand tall and proud, an extraordinary adventure unfolds. A retired salesman, his loyal Malshi dog, and a 1952 tractor named Cream Puff set out to tap maple trees — and discover something far sweeter along the way.
Order on Amazon Hardcover & Paperback Available ↗100% of proceeds donated to Andy’s House Hospice Muskoka
Smitty is a retired salesman who has spent years watching the sugar maples on his Muskoka property and dreaming of one thing: tapping them. As winter gives way to the promising warmth of spring — that particular Muskoka spring where the nights are still cold but the days crack open with light — he decides the time has finally come.
With his loyal Malshi dog Bella at his side and his steadfast 1952 tractor Cream Puff rumbling ahead of them, Smitty sets out through the maple bush to collect sap, boil syrup, and discover that the sweetest part of any adventure isn’t the destination — it’s who you share it with.
Set in the heart of Ontario’s cottage country, this warmhearted story celebrates the rhythms of Muskoka seasons, the bond between a person and their companions, and the quietly extraordinary magic of maple season — written and illustrated with the care of someone who knows this landscape from the inside.
A retired salesman with a lifelong dream of tapping his own maple trees. Patient, warm, and full of quiet determination. Smitty knows that the best adventures are the ones you finally stop putting off.
Smitty’s Malshi dog — small, spirited, and perpetually enthusiastic. Where Smitty goes, Bella goes. Through snow, mud, maple bush, and boiling sap, she is there. Always.
Old but utterly reliable. A 1952 tractor with a personality all her own. She has been on this property as long as anyone can remember, and she is not about to miss the biggest adventure of the season.
John Graham is an Ontario secondary school teacher and the founder of Muskoka Republic, a Gravenhurst-based cottage country apparel brand. He is rooted in Muskoka and writes from the particular knowledge of someone who has watched a maple season from the inside — who knows the sound of sap dripping into a bucket, the smell of a sugar shack, and the quality of light on a Muskoka morning in late March.
The Adventures of Smitty, Bella and Cream Puff: Muskoka Maple Season is his debut children’s book. Every copy sold supports Andy’s House Hospice Muskoka — a cause close to his heart and his community.
Nadia Ronquillo brings the world of Muskoka maple season to vivid, warm life through illustrations that capture both the detail and the feeling of the landscape. Her work gives Smitty, Bella, and Cream Puff the kind of visual character that makes a children’s book last for generations.
A warmhearted collaboration between a Muskoka storyteller and an illustrator with a deep sensitivity to place and character.
Andy’s House is Muskoka’s premier palliative care home, opened in October 2020 and operated by Hospice Muskoka. It provides specialized care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to residents of Muskoka Lakes, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Georgian Bay Townships — and to their families — during the most profound moments of their lives.
Named for OPP Constable Andrew Potts, killed in the line of duty in 2005, Andy’s House was built through years of community effort and the extraordinary generosity of the Potts Family Memorial Foundation. Since opening, it has supported over 1,000 Muskoka residents and their families.
Every copy of this book purchased is a direct contribution to the compassionate care Andy’s House provides. 100% of proceeds from sales are donated.
Available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon. Every purchase directly supports Andy’s House Hospice Muskoka. Give a child a story about this place. Give a family the care they deserve.
Order on AmazonHardcover & Paperback · Ships to Canada ↗Personally signed copies available — contact us to arrange
