How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea

January 16, 2017
An imperious monarch embarks on a quest in this wry story from the team behind Infinity and Me. “I must find the perfect cup of tea!” the queen barks at her butler, James. “Stop slouching and get me my coat!” Aloft in a hot-air balloon, she orders James to stop in verdant, tea-growing regions, encountering children who invite the royal to do things queens don’t ordinarily do, then share tea with her. In Japan, she meets Noriko and snuggles a cat (“That was rather strenuous”). In India, where tea is prepared with ginger and star anise, Sunil invites her to play soccer. “Her Majesty does not dribble,” James informs the boy. “Well then,” Sunil responds, “it’s time she tried.” In Turkey, she meets Rana, who dances. Swiatkowska’s delicious, old-world pastels render each character a distinct individual; the Queen has peculiar flyaway hair, and Sunil’s missing a front tooth. The details give Hosford’s round-the-world tale offbeat charm, and readers will smile as they watch the Queen shed her haughtiness and embrace her own capabilities. Ages 5–9. Author’s agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

December 1, 2016
A very proper queen goes on a world tour, visiting children who know both how to make tea and how to entice a royal to come out of her protective shell.Resembling Victoria in stature and Carroll's Red Queen in temperament, the white monarch finds herself unhappy with the tea brewed by her butler, James (also white). Traveling with her trusty manservant by hot air balloon in search of a better brew, she meets Noriko of Japan, Sunil of India, and Rana of Turkey. She not only drinks the tea found in those countries, but she even helps to brew the drink and has an adventure in friendship in each place. Although the queen communicates her disdain for such activities to James, and James dutifully informs each child, she eventually consents to snuggle Noriko's kittens, dribble Sunil's soccer ball, and dance with Rana. At the end, the queen invites the children to her garden and prepares the tea herself. The charm of this picture book is to be found in its repetitive language. Each voyage is told in almost the same wording, but in each sequence, the queen does a little more to make the tea, until she is quite self-sufficient and capable of enjoying human relationships. The amusing colored-pencil illustrations show the queen as she changes from her buttoned-up personality with proper hairdo created by her maids to a free spirit who does her own haphazard coiffure. Droll entertainment that calls out for an international tea party. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)

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April 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 2-The creators of the thought-provoking Infinity and Me are back with a tale of a pompous queen who travels around the world to find what she is missing at home. Every morning, the queen wakes up to a team of helpers who dress her, brush her hair, and-most important-make her tea. As her tea begins to taste progressively worse, she demands that the butler escort her via hot-air balloon to different countries in search of the perfect cup. The queen visits children in Japan, India, and Turkey, who treat her as just another friend. After snuggling with one child's kitten, playing soccer with another, and dancing with the third, she requests a cup of tea from each child. The queen admits that they all taste better than her own, and eventually realizes that while tea leaves are important, friendship is the secret ingredient her brew was lacking. The book concludes with the entire group of friends meeting at the palace for a tea party with the new and improved queen. This book is a delightful multicultural experience, with text and illustrations that complement each other. The colored pencil drawings capture the whimsy of the world tour while offering intricate details. The facial expressions of the queen, who takes herself much too seriously, are juxtaposed with those of the sweet children, who are completely unimpressed by the monarch's royal status. Each visit includes pictorial instructions for how tea is made in each culture. The story will appeal to a wide range of ages, as young ones will take to the adventure and characters, while older ones will benefit from learning about the lives of children from other countries. VERDICT Beautiful and charming, this addition will entice a variety of readers and could be useful during lesson planning.-Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

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