Tea Party Today

by Eileen Spinelli

Book Overview

Boyds Mills Press publishes a wide range of high-quality fiction and nonfiction picture books, chapter books, novels, and nonfiction This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563976625
• ISBN13: 9781563976629
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.3" x 10.4"
• Age Range: 2 to 5 years

Customer Reviews

"Teatime and Poetry make a splendid pair" (Teatime Tip!)

This is ancharming poetry picture book. Poems are cleverly arranged in stages of having a tea party: shopping, creating invitations, preparing, brewing, and entertaining. Teatime Tips accompany each poem, ranging from recipes to activities to placating party poopers. Dugan's whimsical illustrations are faintly reminiscent of Tomie DePaola's soft rounded style, but have more color and action. The pictures, people with a multicultural cast of cheerful children, portray movement in every sense. Spinelli's text has trouble keeping up with Dugan's smooth style. Some of the poems have odd rhythms due to forced rhymes, but in most cases, the desired effect is achieved, whether it be one of bustling preparation ("Pots clank/Glasses clink/Water gurgles/in the sink") or calm lazy afternoons ("Brown sugar sand is soft and sweet/This day is good enough to eat"). With curriculum connections potential in a variety of subjects, this book is a worthy purchase for any library serving younger elementary grade students - in spite of Spinelli's need for a bit more polishing in the poetry department.

Tea Party Today

TEA PARTY TODAY When I first read this collection of poetry for children by Eileen Spinelli, I was not just enthralled by the fine writing, but fascinated with the author's beloved memories of tea parties. The poetry in this book is filled with charm, in lines such as "With clover all woven through braids in her hair," about the Beekeeper's Daughter (from the poem, "Market Day"). And, from the poem "Invitation," ". . .jam is a treat/ That butterflies taste/ On their flutter-by feet." Then, there's the poem, "Adventure," about the joy of reading and the imaginary trips it affords one, that can lead to ". . . tea with a dragon/ And lunch with a mouse." The illustrations by Karen Dugan are colorful, pert, cuddly, and capture the charm of the words. Some of the poems are humorous, and here again, the illustrator makes the most of that humor. An example of this is the page about the "Teatime Grouch." Another page, with the poem entitled "Please," features a mischievous child who puts his finger in his cup of tea, bringing about shocked reactions from his co-partygoers, who are appropriately wearing flowered, feathered and beribboned hats. As we continue to read Tea Party Today, we realize that it isn't just the poetry that is inviting. At the bottom of each page, readers will find suggestions and ideas for their next tea party under the heading "Teatime Tips." These creative tips make the planning of a tea party so attractive that they are sure to make the reader start writing invitations and stock up on a variety of regular and herbal teas. The tips are both educational and fun, and one of my favorites is, "Invite grandparents and other older relatives to tea . . . Ask them to tell stories about when they were children." Doing this will not only help form a bond between generations, but also give children an opportunity to learn something about their older relatives. This book, besides being charming and fun, is important inasmuch as it teaches children the fine art of being a host or hostess, of ensuring that everyone who comes to their home will leave with a warm feeling in their heart. After all, we are social beings, and what better way for a child to learn how to socialize than by reading Tea Party Today and putting its Teatime Tips into practice.

Charmingly illustrated celebration of tea parties.

Charming illustrations, delightful poems with delicious tea tips on every page! My grandaughter only wanted to read two of them at first, and then wouldn't be satisfied until we read the whole thing twice!