A new book celebrating one of New Brunswick’s most important agricultural products is about to hit the shelves of every library across the province.

New Brunswick is the world’s third largest producer of maple syrup, but few young people are aware of that, or much else about the industry.

Marie-France Comeau wrote “Friendships at Maple Sugar Time” to educate children about one of the region’s biggest agricultural industries.

The New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association has donated 84 copies of the book to the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation.

"We're able to take books and materials that an organization might like to make available to New Brunswickers and the foundation can make them available through the library service,” says Leah Brisco of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation.

“There are 63 public libraries and three bookmobiles in the province, so that has a really wide reach."

The book will be available in both English and French and is aimed at children in kindergarten through Grade 4.

Yvon Poitras is the general manager of the New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association which represents 125 maple products.

Poitras says the donation of the books has two purposes - to inspire young people to read and to encourage New Brunswickers to support a local industry.

"This is your product. We do this in New Brunswick, we're the third biggest producer in the world, this is from here, this is your product, use it, use it more, buy more," says Poitras.

The books will be available in every library across New Brunswick beginning Tuesday.

"I think it creates a pride of place for kids to be able to read about the place where they live and lend some importance to the place that they live, you know, it's a place that people want to write about and that people want to read about," says Brisco.

New Brunswickers can enjoy special maple-themed celebrations at various libraries throughout the week.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell