Cloud Tea Monkeys

by Mal Peet

Overview

Monkeys come to the rescue of a struggling family in this traditional tale from a Carnegie Medal winner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781406333862
Publisher:	Walker & Company
Publication date:	10/28/2011
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	7.52(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

Husband and wife team Mal Peet (1947–2015) and Elspeth Graham wrote four books together: Cloud Tea Monkeys, Mysterious Traveler, Night Sky Dragons and The Treasure of Pirate Frank. Mal Peet also authored several YA novels, including the Carnegie Medal–winning novel Tamar, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor BookLife: An Exploded Diagram and three Paul Faustino novels: Keeper, The Penalty, and Exposure.

Juan Wijngaard has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Shakespeare’s Globe: An Interactive Pop-up Theatre and the Kate Greenaway Medal–winning Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady. He lives in New Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

Juan Wijngaard's illustrations in ‘Cloud Tea Monkeys’ are stunning; you can see the very hairs on the monkeys' bodies, and the indigo and violet of saris and turbans practically glow. – Wall Street Journal

The tale has the feel of a time-honed fable—simple, elegant, and moving—which is especially well complemented by Wijngaard’s sumptuous illustrations.
– Booklist

Unique and atmospheric, this tale freshly presents the karmic rewards of kindness.
– Publishers Weekly

Expressive, richly detailed ink-and-gouache illustrations. Tashi’s solemn face as she comforts her bedridden mother, the dynamic depictions of the Tea Taster swishing tea and spitting out a mouthful, the play of light through the branches under which the monkeys eat fruit, and even the delicate tracery of a decorative pattern on the bottom of each page all contribute to the thoughtful bookmaking.
– School Library Journal

Peet and Graham’s polished narrative is carefully shaped and the fluid, piquant language makes it a natural choice for reading aloud . . .This will especially resonate with children whose families live on the economic edge, and the ‘helpful monkey’ solution is both pleasingly fantastical and gratifying.
– Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books

Absolutely superb. The unique story line captures a number of important themes in economics, including the vulnerability of the working poor and the incidence of child labor in developing countries. Stunning illustrations further add to the richness of Cloud Tea Monkeys, making this book as much of a treasure as the tea described within.
– Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

From the Publisher