Teatime Around the World

by Denyse Waissbluth, Chelsea O'Byrne (Illustrator)

Overview

A celebration of diversity and deliciousness, Teatime Around the World reveals all the wonderful ways we can enjoy a cup of tea—or two!

Let’s go on an adventure to discover new cultures and friends through tea! In this fun and lyrical picture book for ages 4-8, kids will learn how tea is enjoyed in Thailand, Japan, Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Uruguay, South Sudan, India, and more countries!

Did you know that po cha, the traditional tea in Tibet, is thick and salty like soup? Or that in Iran, tea is served with a rock? (A rock candy, that is!) Or that afternoon tea was dreamed up in England by a duchess who complained of being hungry between lunch and dinner?

With vivid poetry, vibrant illustrations, and unique facts about different tea cultures, Teatime Around the World tells the delightful story of a beloved beverage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771646017
Publisher:	Greystone Books
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Series:	Taste the World
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

DENYSE WAISSBLUTH is a former journalist who has enjoyed tea in twenty countries, including China, where she studied tea culture. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

CHELSEA O’BYRNE is an illustrator and tea enthusiast who lives in Vancouver, BC. She is the acclaimed illustrator of four books, including Hello, Crow! by Candace Savage(Greystone Kids, 2019).

Editorial Reviews

The message is one of global unity in which tea becomes a metaphor for how people are different and alike. A charming book to be read aloud with friends, perhaps at teatime.”
—Booklist

“Fun... refreshing... This colorful book is filled with refreshingly diverse scenes depicting how tea is enjoyed around the world. A great purchase for elementary nonfiction picture book collections, especially where more ­cultural ­appreciation texts are needed.”
—School Library Journal

“Readers whose definition of ‘tea’ begins and ends with a bag and boiling water are in for a horizon-broadening read... A refreshing cuppa conviviality, brewed and served many ways.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Sip and read through this quiet book of all things tea.”
—Imagination Soup

“Waissbluth’s conversational style will appeal to kids looking to learn how global cultures are similar to and different from their own. Chelsea O’Byrne’s lovely matte illustrations take children to cities, the countryside, and the seaside around the globe… Sure to spur readers to learn more about the countries featured and entice them to try their signature teas, Teatime Around the World would enhance geography, history, and multicultural lessons for school and homeschooling and is highly recommended for school and public library collections.”
—Celebrate Picture Books

From the Publisher

09/01/2020

Gr 3–5—This nonfiction title provides insight into teas enjoyed around the world. A fun poem accompanies the refreshing, informational bits. Filled with rich artwork to complement each new scene, readers will not only engage with the fascinating information but will also enjoy the singsong poem that is unveiled one or two words at a time. As the narrative moves from scenes set in Chile to Hong Kong, many different people are depicted. The artwork is clearly presented and touches on nuances in various cultures without using stereotypes. An author's note reveals the inspiration for writing the book. While this text is not meant to cover the entire history of tea, it is a tribute to the drink. VERDICT This colorful book is filled with refreshingly diverse scenes depicting how tea is enjoyed around the world. A great purchase for elementary nonfiction picture book collections, especially where more cultural appreciation texts are needed.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

School Library Journal

2020-08-18
The leaves are only the beginning in this world tour of teas and tisanes.

Readers whose definition of “tea” begins and ends with a bag and boiling water are in for a horizon-broadening read. Between serving up Moroccan mint tea (green tea, mint, and sugar) and Jamaican sorrel (roselle hibiscus buds, ginger, cloves, and sugar), Waissbluth pauses to savor masala chai (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, pepper, milk) in India, po cha (milk, yak-milk butter, salt) in Tibet, pink chai (pistachios, almonds, salt, milk, spices, baking soda) in Pakistan, and bubble tea (powdered milk, syrup, tapioca balls) in Taiwan. She also peeks in to tea ceremonies in Japan and China as well as a British-style formal tea and marvels at tea brewed in a samovar (Russia), served in bags (Thailand), and sipped from hollow gourds (South American maté). In a closing note about her travels and research she writes that tea is nearly everywhere “a symbol of hospitality,” and O’Byrne echoes that theme by posing her tea drinkers—all bearing a broad range of skin tones, facial features, and regionally distinct casual or ceremonial dress—in pairs or groups. The author provides ingredients but not recipes, and her claim that “Indigenous cultures in North America prepare tea from berries, plants, and roots” is unwontedly vague. Still, this wide-ranging tally of teas and methods of serving it may offer a strong temptation to look beyond the soda can.

A refreshing cuppa conviviality, brewed and served many ways. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews