Top Ten Tea Books - Children's Books

Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea
by Cynthia Rylant
Clarion Books, 1994
My favorite children’s book ever, this sweet story really shows how tea can bring too souls together in friendship. Mr. Putter is elderly and lonely, so he goes to the pound and asks for the oldest cat they have. He adopts Tabby, an old orange tabby (I have a ‘thing” for orange tabby cats). This story is so gentle, sweet, and oddly profound with its simple story about friendship, love, and tea. I have literally purchased and gifted this book countless times, and I love it’s simple message of connection and love.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea
by Judith Kerr
Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2006
This adorable book was written in 1968 and is still one of my favorites. The illustrations are simple, but completely endearing. Mum looks like a real mum, and the tiger looks like a giant housecat (remember my love of orange cats). Simple yet silly, it’s exactly the kind of story to delight a young child with a bit of whimsy and a bit of naughtiness.

Teatime with Emma Buttersnap
by Lindsay Tate.
Henry Holt & Company, 2015
This is a cute book if you want to teach your children a little bit about tea. To my taste, I tend to like things that are more silly and fun, but there is a lot of great information about tea and tea history in this book. Definitely worth it if your goal is education about Tea!

Cloud Tea Monkeys
by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham
Candlewick, 2010
I was so excited when I read this book. It’s a retelling of an old tea legend of tea-picking monkeys, the book tells the story of a young girl, Tashi, and how she tries to help earn money by picking tea because her mother is ill. I don’t want to give away the story, but not only are the illustrations outstanding, but the story is meaningful on so many levels. It also checks all the boxes for me about folklore and tea, and this book may have just moved up to my favorite! With countless awards, honors, and outstanding reviews, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Madeline’s Tea Party
by John Bemelmans Marciano
Penguin Young Readers, 2012
Always one of my favorites, Madeline hosts a tea party and her naughty friend makes shows up and wreaks havok! A fun and lively book.

Do Not Rake Your Garden in a Party Dress
by Kelly Pousette, Aimee Bissonette
Cameron Books, 2020
I love love love this new book! This is my favorite kind of book - sweet, simple, and adorable with a meaningful message. The illustrations done by Kelly Pousette are simple yet skillfully executed watercolor and pencil, with the cutest little animals on every page. You have to take a few moments to appreciate all the animals tucked away in the images, and I can just imagine myself loving that as a young child. The message here is one that I know resonates with me - we plan and plan and invariably, things go awry, but in the end it’s really about the people at your party, and not the little details, that matter. It teaches children to (literally, in this case) go with the flow, and appreciate the journey.

Tea with Grandpa
by Barney Saltzberg
Roaring Book Press, 2014
I have to admit that when I read children’s books, it’s usually the animals that catch my attention, and in this book it’s no different! Barney Salzberg tells a wonderful story by using the expressions and actions of the animals throughout the book. The story line of the little girl taking tea with her Grandpa daily is a lovely reminder to take time to share experiences with those in our lives, and even if you are far apart, you can still connect with only a little effort. Blending the new world of technology with the classic and traditional custom of teatime, this book inspires you to reach out to those you love.

Teatime Around the World
by Denyse Waissbluth
Greystone Kids, 2020
I love this book. As an Anthropologist, one of my main areas of interest is the culture of food and beverages around the world. I wish I’d written this one! Denyse take a simple journey into a wide range of cultures, and how they all share the love of this one beverage: Tea (and herbal infusions). The journey explores how many cultures have incorporated these infused beverages into their traditions. and the illustrations are fun and colorful. In a time where we all want to teach our kids to appreciate diversity, this is a great book!

The Tea Party in the Woods
by Akiko Miyakoshi
Kids Can Press, 2015
This book has won a lot of awards for it’s simple and magical story. Kiko follows her father through the woods to her grandmother’s house to bring a pie that he left behind. After dropping the pie, she meets some animals having a tea party. This was a dream of mine (actually still is) to be able to bond with wildlife and communicate. This civilized and friendly tea time with the animals results in them each offering a slice of their own “forest” pie for Kiko to deliver to her grandmother. Oh, how I want to know what is in those slices of pie! A lovely story that focuses on love of nature and teatime kindness.

Tea Rex
by Molly Idle
Viking Books for Young Readers
Can a T-Rex come to Tea? This is a great book to bridge the gap between kids who love the idea of tea parties, and others who love dinosaurs! It makes tea fun for everyone and stretches the imagination as the delightful illustrations cleverly show how to incorporate manners as well as being hospitable to a guest.