 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Cloud Tea Monkeys
- By Elspeth Graham, Mal Peet
- Genre: Folklore
Common Sense Media says
Folk tale steeped in rich language and elegant art.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this folk tale, which includes a sickly mother, a brave little girl, a heartless overseer,
and a royal tea taster who knows value when he tastes it, came from an ancient legend about tea-picking monkeys. It's a magical tale, OK for younger readers but not really aimed toward them.
What's the story?
After her mother gets sick, a little girl named Tashi tries to step into her place as a tea-harvester. Unfortunately, she is too small, the job too big, and the overseer too heartless. Luckily, and magically, she is saved from her predicament by a group of monkeys she has befriended and the special cloud tea they deliver for the empress.
Is it any good?
Readers, especially early elementary-aged kids who can read fluently, will love this book. They will be captivated by the way the story is told, as well as by the lessons it teaches. The innocent young girl is pitted against the cruel ogre, justice confronts injustice,
poor workers are at the mercy of the plantation owners and overseer, and so on. Happily, in true storybook fashion, kindness and goodness win out in the end through a very well-earned twist of magic and circumstance.
Though this story itself is not really an ancient folktale, it seems like one. True, as the authors' note tells us, it grew out of "many tea-picking tales we found in the high mountain countries of the Himalayan region." Together, they have definitely woven those tales into a real classic. And the artwork makes it even more spectacular.
The cover, and all of the artwork that follows within, are absolutely captivating. First of all, a children's book with a black cover will catch almost anyone's eye. But this one, with the little girl in the golden shawl, looking almost as if the sun were shining on her, and the steamy swirl of monkeys rising from her cup of tea, promises a rich magical story. The artwork inside, done in pencil and gouche, is equally rich and elegant. From the quiet peace of the Himalayan landscape, the noise of the chattering monkeys, the emotion on the faces of the characters, and the rich details of the costuming, Juan Wijngaad does a masterful job of illustrating scene after scene.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about tea. How does it grow? Where does most of it come from? Where does this story take place? How can you tell? Look at the scenery and the clothing for clues. What do you think was so special about the Cloud Tea? Do you think it really exists? Do you think it is really picked by monkeys? How could you find out?
How is the little girl's life different from yours? Why does she go to work with her mother? What does she do while her mother works? What would you have done? Do you think you would have made friends with the monkeys?
When her mother is sick, why does she try to do her mother's job? Why do
you think the overseer is so mean to her? How do you think he should
have treated her? Why couldn't the other women help her out?
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| Authors: | Elspeth Graham, Mal Peet |
| Illustrator: | Juan Wijngaard |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Folklore |
| Publisher: | Candlewick Press |
| Publication date: | February 23, 2010 |
| Number of pages: | 56 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 8 |
| Read aloud: | 5 - 5 |
| Read alone: | 7 - 7 |
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