I don’t drink coffee. It has always been tea for me. Black tea, green tea, white tea or herbal tea, I like it all. Earl Grey and jasmine are particular favorites. Though I usually drink my tea alone while I am writing, tea is a beverage that is often sipped socially. Think of all those adorable tea sets for children to have pretend tea parties; you don’t hear of kids having a coffee or an orange juice party, do you? Tea is the most popular drink in the world after water, and every culture has a special way of drinking and sharing it. Two recent picture books show this diversity and the way it brings people together.
The first book is Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Hyewon Yum. It takes place in a child care setting where the parents are in another room taking ESL classes. The illustrations show a bright, sunny yellow room with books and toys and children, but,
The playroom was quiet. Luli couldn’t speak English. Neither could the others.
All of the children are playing by themselves because of the language barriers. So Luli comes up with a plan to bring everyone together using tea. She brings all the tea supplies with her in her back pack; cups, teapot, even a thermos of hot water. And then she calls out the word for tea in her language, which is Chinese. Because the word for tea in Chinese (Cha’) is similar in sound to the word for tea in many other languages (as explained in the backmatter), the children look up from their solitary play and join her at the table for a warm cup of delicious tea. By having each child respond in their native language, the reader gets to learn a new word for tea
“Chai?” (Ch-eye?) Tishala said in Swahili.
At the end of the story, the children are friends, brought together by a brave little girl and some tea.
There is helpful backmatter about tea, and about immigrants in the United States. I love the beautiful endpapers showing different teacups around the world.
In Teatime Around the World, by Denyse Waissbluth and illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne, facts about different types of tea consumed around the world is paired with poetic text welcoming the reader to
Tea for one. Tea for two. Tea for me. Tea for you.
This is a lovely book brimming with colorful illustrations of diverse people enjoying different ways of drinking tea around the world. There are delightful facts about Moroccan mint tea, Taiwanese bubble tea, and Tibetan tea with Yak butter. Each page depicts a different culture and place that all show a gathering of people enjoying their unique take on tea.
The author includes a section at the end called “My Tea Story” that explains her journeys around the world sharing cups of tea with strangers. The endpapers in this book also show colorful depictions of various tea accoutrements.
The best thing about both of these books is showing that something as simple as a cup of tea can bring people together. So get out the tea set, boil some water and share the joy of the ritual of tea time with a young friend or two. Maybe they will grow up and share a cup with some potential friends of their own. Yak butter or tapioca balls optional.
