Tea Rex

PreS-Gr 1—A droll narrator gives clear instructions for hosting a successful tea party. Meanwhile the colored-pencil illustrations show a gathering teetering on disaster with every page turn as the guest of honor is none other than an enormous Tyrannosaurus rex. The soft pastel hues and rounded shapes keep this dinosaur more large and bumbling than fierce or scary, but the child's teddy bear suffers a few close calls. Etiquette advice focuses on putting guests at ease: "It's good to have extra cups and napkins on hand… as accidents can happen. But a good host meets these little challenges with a cheerful smile…," and all of the guests survive unharmed, if rather rumpled, and delighted with the return invitation from the dinosaur. The tension between the text and illustrations provides much to amuse the youngest tea-party hosts.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA