Bitter Tea and Rock Candy

by Yan Gu, Yan Gu (Illustrator)

Overview

This tender and warm picture book is a touching ode to grandparents and family traditions—even picky eating.

Mimi's Waipo loves liangcha, but Mimi thinks her grandmother's favorite tea is just too bitter.

It burns her lips, it tastes sour on her tongue, and it smells like her grandfather's socks—yuck!

Mimi secretly feeds her liangcha to the fish, and hides it in a plant, and pours it down the sink—anything to avoid drinking it again. But Waipo has an idea. One morning, she makes a new batch of liangcha for them to share. Will Waipo's secret ingredient be enough to win Mimi over?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250445230
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	09/09/2025
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Yan Gu is an author and illustrator from Shanghai, China. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design. Nature and fairytale themes are her most favorite to create. When she’s not making art, Yan can be found on her terrace, taking care of her plants and spending time with her dog, Doudou.

Editorial Reviews

"The depiction of affection between a grandparent and grandchild and the importance of empathy . . . are universal. A heartwarming tribute to intergenerational connection."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2025-05-16
A young girl of Chinese descent resists drinking the pungent tea made by her grandmother.

Mimi’s Waipo lovingly serves her liangcha, an herbal tea meant to cool her body and keep her healthy. As Mimi brings the bowl to her lips, her thoughts wander to the flowers on Waipo’s balcony, soothingly illustrated with soft pastels and a warm palette. Alas, the tea is too hot, bitter, sour, and smelly! Mimi can’t bring herself to swallow a single mouthful. But Waipo is adamant: Mimi must drink liangcha every day, just as Waipo did growing up, just like Waipo’s grandmother “before her, and her grandmother before her.” Mimi scrambles each day to creatively dispose of the murky liquid. When Waipo finally catches her, she’s angry, but Mimi is unapologetic; their strong emotions are captured in full-bleed spreads enhanced with charming botanical details. The conflict is ultimately resolved when each commits to understanding the other: Mimi comes to appreciate liangcha as a ritual symbolizing Waipo’s love for her, while Waipo looks to her own childhood for a sweet solution to make the tea’s bitter flavor more palatable for Mimi. Readers familiar with the role of teas in traditional Chinese medicine may see themselves in Mimi or Waipo—or perhaps in both. The depiction of affection between a grandparent and grandchild and the importance of empathy, however, are universal.

A heartwarming tribute to intergenerational connection.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews