Books about TEA FOR TWO-Year Olds!

The box: I almost missed it!

But there it was - just at eye-level - haphazardly resting on a shelf in our garage.

A somewhat faded pink-striped box that encased my daughter's long forgotten Circus Tea Set.

Perfect.

A rainy weekend.

My two-year-old grandson loves "tea" parties. (I do too - doesn't everyone?!)

And I love books about tea parties. (He does too!)

I hope I've included some of your favorite tea party stories, as I've gathered ours for this post. (click the titles for links to my past reviews)...

Miss Spider's Tea Party

by David Kirk

(Because, really, what's a tea party without a spider?!)

Tea Rex

by Molly Idle

(Because boys and girls love dinosaurs - and dinosaurs apparently love tea!)

Winnie-the-Pooh's Teatime Cookbook

inspired by A.A. Milne

illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

(You'll find a recipe for Honeycake, of course!)

Baby Lit Alice in Wonderland

A colors primer by Jennifer Adams

(A fun introduction to all things Alice from "Little Master Carroll")

What to serve your little munchkin?  Click here for Book Themed Food Ideas.  And go here for my past posts on Storybook Party Ideas.

On Super Bowl Sunday I Hosted a Nursery Rhyme Tea!

A"Sip 'N See" is a sweet Southern Tradition:  a casual Post Baby Party!  I was honored this past weekend to act as hostess at one for my godson, his wife, and their new baby girl, "Belle".  She's a little beauty!

  

Traditionally thrown by a doting Grandma, Godmama, Auntie (or Mom and Dad) after baby's birth, a Sip 'N See is an easy way to get friends and family - couples or ladies only - together for an open-house-style party to meet and greet the new baby.

Guests drop by, have a sip of tea or champagne (or both), see the baby, and honor the new mother (and father, if it's a co-ed event).

Unlike a more formal shower, it's not about games and presents - it's an informal event devoted to celebrating and welcoming the new baby (but of course a few little gifts always show up.)  

Our theme?  Easy!  A Nursery Rhyme English Tea.  My daughter and I put out some vintage picture books,  broke out our china dishes, and polished our inherited silver plate - thinking of my mom and remembering my grandma with every little buff of our cloths!

Since it was also Super Bowl Sunday, we didn't just serve frou-frou desserts.  We had grilled sausages and beer along with delicacies the ladies would enjoy.  The guys ended up gathering around the television, while the ladies took turns holding little Belle and visiting in my sitting room.

Go here to read about the Peter Pan themed Sip 'N See my sister and I did for my daughter and grandson.

Here are some quick tips for a successful Sip 'N See:

1.  Get a guest list from the parents of their local close friends and family.  Send out invitations or an Evite, making it clear that the party is open-house-style and that gifts are not expected. 

2.  An adult-only guest list tends to work best - you don't want the new baby exposed to lots of germs from eager little hands.  But of course it's ultimately up to what the parents want.

3.  Try to serve foods and drinks Mommy (and Daddy) enjoy.  Plan foods guests can easily serve themselves as they come and go.

4.  This is an informal get together, and you can make it as simple or elegant as the parents would like.  You can host anything from a buffet BBQ to an English Tea with finger foods (we served coffee and tea, mini-scones, some appetizers, and of course bubbly pink champagne!)  

5.  You don't have to have a theme, but it can make it easier in planning the food.  Decorations can be minimal - flowers, and colorful plates and napkins are enough.  You don't need to worry about games or party favors.  The main attraction is the BABY!

6.  Have the new parents bring pictures of themselves as babies, and a photo of the little guest of honor to adorn the table.

7.  Have a guest book that people can sign, with well wishes for the parents and baby.

Tea for Two (and a Tea Rex!)

(Used with permission by Wild Ginger Photography)

Books and tea somehow belong together, don’t you think? Author C.S. Lewis (born in Ireland and schooled at Oxford), undoubtedly grew up with tea time as a daily ritual. He spoke for many of us when he said, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

My daughter and I love discovering local (California) tearooms together.  Two of our favorites are The Four Seasons Tea Room in Sierra Madre and The Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano.

As a child, I certainly wished Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia would never end. I also vividly recall wanting to join Lucy Pevensie and Mr. Tumnus for a sip or two of tea, when the kind Fawn invited her for tea and toast in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

But I never imagined myself having tea with a dinosaur...

Have you seen this adorable new picture book about teatime with a Mr. Tea Rex? It's written and illustrated by the talented Molly Idle.

Some tea parties are for grown-ups.

Some are for girls.

But this tea party is for a very special guest.

And it is important to follow some rules . . .

like providing comfortable chairs,

and good conversation,

and yummy food.

But sometimes that is not enough for special guests,

especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . .

One thing I really like about this book is that it would appeal to both boys and girls, who - while being distracted by the hilarious artwork - might not realize that they are actually learning a little bit about the etiquette and manners of teatime.

In the midst of a table set with dainty tea cups, the dinosaur creates quite a bit of havoc!

The book trailer is so much fun...a great read aloud for ages 4 and up!

Tea, Cravats, and "Humpty Dumpty Logic": Happy Birthday to Lewis Carroll!

"There are 364 days when you might get un-birthday presents

...and only one for birthday presents, you know.

There's glory for you!"

- Humpty Dumpty (from Through the Looking Glass)

Today I'm celebrating the birthday of Lewis Carroll.  Take a peek into my cupboard as I decide which tea to take!

Did you know: Alice had tea with the Mad Hatter in Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book; but the concept of an "un-birthday" was introduced to her by Humpty Dumpty in Alice's second adventure, Through the Looking Glass - it did not involve the Mad Hatter at all!

I've made my tea choice, and it's got to be this one!  Seriously, this Wonderland Tea is an amazing blend of loose black tea leaves with apricot and ginger bits, and calendula petals. How to make it?

Mad Hatter Tea Blend

According to the Mad Hatter's directions on the tin:

HOW TO MAKE HOT TEA

(a.k.a. Uncold Tea)

by the Mad Hatter

Start at the beginning

(and when you come to the end...stop!)

Use a teaspoon per 8 oz of water and steep for 3-4 minutes.

(We recommend your clock be two days slow).

Move down the table to get a clean cup. 

Now, sit and have a cup with me as you read the following fun exchange from Chapter 6 of Through the Looking Glass.  It's a
conversation between Alice and Humpty Dumpty - as they dicuss cravats, unbirthdays, and birthdays (can you tell Lewis Carroll was a logician and mathmetician??)...

'It's a cravat, child, and a beautiful one, as you say. It's a present from the White King and Queen. There now!'

'Is it really?' said Alice, quite pleased to find that she had chosen a good subject after all.

'They gave it me,' Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, 'they gave it me — for an un-birthday present.'

'I beg your pardon?' Alice said with a puzzled air.

'I'm not offended,' said Humpty Dumpty.

'I mean, what is an un-birthday present?'

'A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course.'

Alice considered a little. 'I like birthday presents best,' she said at last.

'You don't know what you're talking about!' cried Humpty Dumpty. 'How many days are there in a year?'

'Three hundred and sixty-five,' said Alice.

'And how many birthdays have you?'

'One.'

'And if you take one from three hundred and sixty-five what remains?'

'Three hundred and sixty-four, of course.'

Humpty Dumpty looked doubtful. 'I'd rather see that done on paper,' he said.

Alice couldn't help smiling as she took out her memorandum book, and worked the sum for him:

365
 -  1
----
364

Humpty Dumpty took the book and looked at it carefully. 'That seems to be done right —' he began.

'You're holding it upside down!' Alice interrupted.

'To be sure I was!' Humpty Dumpty said gaily as she turned it round for him. 'I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that seems to be done right — though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly just now — and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents —'

'Certainly,' said Alice.

'And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

{You can read the rest of Chapter VI here at Project Gutenberg.}
For my previous posts about Lewis Carroll, click HERE.

A PROPER TEA WITH WINNIE-THE-POOH

"A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards." - A.A. Milne

HONEY CAKE
from Winnie-the-Pooh's Teatime Cookbook*


1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup butter (1 stick),softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup honey
powdered sugar, for decoration


Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift dry ingredients together. While mixing, slowly add milk, eggs, softened butter, vanilla, and honey. When a creamy batter has formed, pour into 2 greased 9-inch round cakepans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until brown around the edges. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan before serving. Serves 12


Serve with an herbal tea, like "Mystical Garden" or "Storytime Tea" from LOST RIVER NATURALS.

*Book description: Winnie the Pooh's Teatime Cookbook (inspired by A. A. Milne, with decorations by Ernest H. Shepard) discusses the phenomenon of afternoon tea and provides recipes for muffins, pastries, and other appropriate fare, punctuated by quotations from the works of A. A. Milne.  Published in 1993 by Dutton Children's Books. (available from AMAZON)


You might also enjoy my past post, "Parties with a Book Theme".

PARTIES WITH A BOOK THEME...

A month ago, I helped throw a baby shower for my niece, who is expecting a boy any day now! She and her husband already have two adorable beagles and decorated their nursery with puppies, so we went with the theme, "Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails".  I found an adorable card on Etsy, that I built the "boy theme" around: we decorated with natural tones and blues and...books!

I love this set of miniature Golden Books!

The unfinished wooden toys were purchased at a craft store.

We decked out the tables with small children's books, plants, stuffed animal puppies, and wooden toys.  On the invitation, we asked everyone to bring a picture book in lieu of a card.  I purchased a cute ex-libris puppy rubber stamp and as they arrived, each guest made a bookplate to adhere in their "book/card" to the baby.

This all got me thinking about the endless possibilities for book-themed baby showers and birthday parties!  You could go with general Nursery Rhymes or specific stories: Peter Rabbit, Curious George, Dr. Seuss, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan... the choices are endless.

Martha Stewart has some really cute ideas for a book- themed baby shower with a Mother Goose Menu on her WEBSITE.
For tons of ideas from parents for parties based on children's books, click HERE.

Think of all the fun food inspiration you could get from picture books at a  Storytime Tea. You could match refreshment choices to favorite children's book titles, displaying the books next to the treats. Then read Miss Spider's Tea Party as an activity. Let me know if you have more ideas.

MENU IDEAS (WITH ACCOMPANYING BOOKS):
Cake!
The Duchess Bakes A Cake


Blueberry Muffins or Scones
Blueberries for Sal 



Madeline tea cakes
Madeline



Chocolate desserts or candy
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory



Strawberries and whipped cream
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear!


Chocolate chip cookies
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie


Crustless jam sandwiches
Bread and Jam for Frances


Melon balls (watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe) - served in a halved out watermelon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar



Baby carrots and dip...
The Carrot Seed