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How to Behave at a Tea Party
Julia's little brother doesn't know how to behave at a tea party. It's time that changed.
Julia will show Charles that slurping and burping are not allowed, that teacups are not building blocks, and that underwear does not count as a fancy hat.
Charles will teach Julia that tea parties sometimes require deep breaths, and welcoming unexpected guests, and that maybe--just maybe--there is more than one way to properly behave.
In this humorous and imaginative spin on the classic manners book, Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross explore the joy and freedom that come when you keep an open mind.
Julia will show Charles that slurping and burping are not allowed, that teacups are not building blocks, and that underwear does not count as a fancy hat.
Charles will teach Julia that tea parties sometimes require deep breaths, and welcoming unexpected guests, and that maybe--just maybe--there is more than one way to properly behave.
In this humorous and imaginative spin on the classic manners book, Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross explore the joy and freedom that come when you keep an open mind.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 9, 2014
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 10, 2017
Children will love this story, and the adults who read it to them will enjoy it, too. The illustrations are delightful and so funny.
A little girl set up a tea party and invited her little brother and their dog. NO twin brothers from next door, no frog, no snake ... she had lots of rules to follow because she had in mind a proper tea party. Little by little, everything went catastrophically wrong! Her patience started wearing thin until CRASH!
That's it, she'd had enough. When she screamed "No little brothers at this tea party" ... and a few other NO's ... the boys all run for their lives, one little fellow leaping head first over the fence. (Funny illustrations.) But, it wasn't fun for her having a tea party alone. She had to rethink her plan.
Enjoyable.
A little girl set up a tea party and invited her little brother and their dog. NO twin brothers from next door, no frog, no snake ... she had lots of rules to follow because she had in mind a proper tea party. Little by little, everything went catastrophically wrong! Her patience started wearing thin until CRASH!
That's it, she'd had enough. When she screamed "No little brothers at this tea party" ... and a few other NO's ... the boys all run for their lives, one little fellow leaping head first over the fence. (Funny illustrations.) But, it wasn't fun for her having a tea party alone. She had to rethink her plan.
Enjoyable.
July 8, 2020
An example of that tongue-in-cheek style where the words do not match the pictures. A girly sister tries to reform her brother at her tea party. Chaos ensues, the sister learns a lesson, and all is right with the world. cute
October 21, 2014
Age: Preschool-1st grade
Emotion: Acceptance, letting go of controlling behaviors
Family: Older sister, younger brother
Julia decides to host a tea party but proper etiquette is hard to control with her little brother and two rowdy neighbors. When a tower of cups crash to the ground, Julia loses her temper and tells everyone to leave. But it's pretty lonely without them around and she invites her imaginative guests back and decides to play along with them. Although this is a great book for learning to cooperate with different personalities, it's interesting that the boys cannot for one moment play delicately along with Julia but she must conform completely to their wild behavior. Perhaps it's more of an age difference than a gender difference but the implications are there.
Emotion: Acceptance, letting go of controlling behaviors
Family: Older sister, younger brother
Julia decides to host a tea party but proper etiquette is hard to control with her little brother and two rowdy neighbors. When a tower of cups crash to the ground, Julia loses her temper and tells everyone to leave. But it's pretty lonely without them around and she invites her imaginative guests back and decides to play along with them. Although this is a great book for learning to cooperate with different personalities, it's interesting that the boys cannot for one moment play delicately along with Julia but she must conform completely to their wild behavior. Perhaps it's more of an age difference than a gender difference but the implications are there.
December 21, 2014
This book will keep you howling all the way through. The humor shows not just in the playful language and funny story (I mean what isn't funny about trying to get your baby brother to behave at your tea party??!!!) but also in the exciting illustrations that leap off the pages. Parents and children alike will read and re-read this classic-to-be!!!
August 13, 2014
BRA
Biased reviewer alert.
Biased reviewer alert.
November 11, 2014
Delightful! I loved it!
February 10, 2018
How to behave at a tea party is about a tea party and the girl who puts it on. But when the guests are little boys all the rules about the party go out the window. The teddy bear even gives up on the party. And the dog and the boys have other ideas. Fun book and exasperating to little girls who must try again to invite the right guests.
May 8, 2020
This is a funny, colourful book about how a sister wants her little brother to behave properly for a tea party.
This is a cute read, but if you have a son who enjoys tea parties as well, I recommend another lovely book :"Tea Rex".
This is a cute read, but if you have a son who enjoys tea parties as well, I recommend another lovely book :"Tea Rex".
April 12, 2018
4/12/18 Read with Naomi & Julia.
March 21, 2025
The illustrations are fun, but the story is just meh.
March 5, 2015
Booklist December 15, 2014 (Online)
Preschool-Grade 2. When throwing a tea party, a host expects certain decorum. However, when Julia invites her younger brother, Charlie, she learns a thing or two about expecting the unexpected. Julia starts her tale by listing party-planning steps. However, things go downhill when Charlie brings a snake to the table, builds a teacup tower, and allows the dog, a frog, and the twin boys from next door to join in. Chaos ensues. After banning everyone and attempting to have a quiet, solitary tea party, a bored Julia eventually understands that “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” and decides to reinvite her guests and enjoy whatever happens. Photoshop digitally composed illustrations leave plenty of white space and feature brightly colored, energetic, and engaging scenes with action galore. Pair this with Caterina and the Perfect Party (2013), by Erin Eitter Kono, to show that being spontaneous can have its rewards.
Horn Book Guide Spring 2015
A girl named Julia describes, practically through gritted teeth, the proper way to act at a tea party; subterfuge-filled illustrations show her brother and young neighbors doing everything they can to thwart her perfectionism. Julia's voice isn't convincingly childlike, but the message is solid: as Julia realizes by book's end, her propriety is as extreme as the party crashers' behavior.
Kirkus Reviews August 15, 2014
With such a mischievous little brother, what's a young hostess to do? As Julia plans and sets up her backyard tea party, younger brother Charles runs rings around and through it with the cute family dog, Rexie. And not far away are the McKagan brothers, redheaded twins with googly eyes, who match Charles prank for prank. They eat the peonies on the table (while Rexie is eating the tablecloth), and one of them stacks the teacups on his head. The metajoke of this book is that the text reads like a set of instructions written by Miss Manners that hint at the chaos shown in the pictures. "You may bring a stuffed animal. And a present. / Do not eat the peonies. Or the tablecloth!" Julia loses her temper and sends the boys away with big angry words that fill the page. But a tea party for one is not much of a party. She reinvites the boys and even allows Rexie to return. Before long, she's playing as rambunctiously as they are, building a rocket ship out of sugar cubes and climbing the big backyard tree. Rosenberg's prose is apt and economical, playing right into the humor of the book's digital illustrations, created with Photoshop. Ross' repertoire of facial expressions is a highlight. Fizzy and sweet if not exactly groundbreaking. (Picture book. 3-6)
Preschool-Grade 2. When throwing a tea party, a host expects certain decorum. However, when Julia invites her younger brother, Charlie, she learns a thing or two about expecting the unexpected. Julia starts her tale by listing party-planning steps. However, things go downhill when Charlie brings a snake to the table, builds a teacup tower, and allows the dog, a frog, and the twin boys from next door to join in. Chaos ensues. After banning everyone and attempting to have a quiet, solitary tea party, a bored Julia eventually understands that “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” and decides to reinvite her guests and enjoy whatever happens. Photoshop digitally composed illustrations leave plenty of white space and feature brightly colored, energetic, and engaging scenes with action galore. Pair this with Caterina and the Perfect Party (2013), by Erin Eitter Kono, to show that being spontaneous can have its rewards.
Horn Book Guide Spring 2015
A girl named Julia describes, practically through gritted teeth, the proper way to act at a tea party; subterfuge-filled illustrations show her brother and young neighbors doing everything they can to thwart her perfectionism. Julia's voice isn't convincingly childlike, but the message is solid: as Julia realizes by book's end, her propriety is as extreme as the party crashers' behavior.
Kirkus Reviews August 15, 2014
With such a mischievous little brother, what's a young hostess to do? As Julia plans and sets up her backyard tea party, younger brother Charles runs rings around and through it with the cute family dog, Rexie. And not far away are the McKagan brothers, redheaded twins with googly eyes, who match Charles prank for prank. They eat the peonies on the table (while Rexie is eating the tablecloth), and one of them stacks the teacups on his head. The metajoke of this book is that the text reads like a set of instructions written by Miss Manners that hint at the chaos shown in the pictures. "You may bring a stuffed animal. And a present. / Do not eat the peonies. Or the tablecloth!" Julia loses her temper and sends the boys away with big angry words that fill the page. But a tea party for one is not much of a party. She reinvites the boys and even allows Rexie to return. Before long, she's playing as rambunctiously as they are, building a rocket ship out of sugar cubes and climbing the big backyard tree. Rosenberg's prose is apt and economical, playing right into the humor of the book's digital illustrations, created with Photoshop. Ross' repertoire of facial expressions is a highlight. Fizzy and sweet if not exactly groundbreaking. (Picture book. 3-6)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2015
Review copy: Final copy from publisher
Frustration is something that we all experience. Often we feel it when reality doesn't match our expectations. Julia has certain expectations about a proper tea party, but her brother and his friends have envisioned something very different. This leads to some crazy antics at this unusual tea party. Readers will certainly be able to relate to Julia's need for many deep breaths.
How to Behave at a Tea Party is designed to bring laughter and smiles. Readers will ultimately see that party behavior varies and imagination can lead to a lot of fun.
The illustrator did a fantastic job with the character expressions. She also included many hilarious details like the frog drying himself off with a napkin after taking a dip in a tea cup. It may take a very slow reading or multiple times to catch all of the humor. I especially enjoyed watching Julia's hair become more and more frazzled as the party continued to spiral out of her control.
I know that my students will enjoy meeting Julia and her brother and I look forward to introducing them. How to Behave at a Tea Party would be fantastic on its own, but would also pair up well with both Molly Idle's Tea Rex and Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules.
If you want to know more about the book, view the trailer or the links below.
Mr. Schu interviewed Madelyn Rosenberg
Trailer: http://youtu.be/9ZXowO1Y7uk
How to Make Your Own Fancy Hat
Illustrator's Introduction to How to Behave at a Tea Party
Frustration is something that we all experience. Often we feel it when reality doesn't match our expectations. Julia has certain expectations about a proper tea party, but her brother and his friends have envisioned something very different. This leads to some crazy antics at this unusual tea party. Readers will certainly be able to relate to Julia's need for many deep breaths.
How to Behave at a Tea Party is designed to bring laughter and smiles. Readers will ultimately see that party behavior varies and imagination can lead to a lot of fun.
The illustrator did a fantastic job with the character expressions. She also included many hilarious details like the frog drying himself off with a napkin after taking a dip in a tea cup. It may take a very slow reading or multiple times to catch all of the humor. I especially enjoyed watching Julia's hair become more and more frazzled as the party continued to spiral out of her control.
I know that my students will enjoy meeting Julia and her brother and I look forward to introducing them. How to Behave at a Tea Party would be fantastic on its own, but would also pair up well with both Molly Idle's Tea Rex and Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules.
If you want to know more about the book, view the trailer or the links below.
Mr. Schu interviewed Madelyn Rosenberg
Trailer: http://youtu.be/9ZXowO1Y7uk
How to Make Your Own Fancy Hat
Illustrator's Introduction to How to Behave at a Tea Party
November 11, 2014
I adored this book. It is about a little girl who is attempting to have a tea party. But to have a proper tea party, you must have guests. Unfortunately, she only has her little brother and the neighbor boys to work with. She attempts to teach them proper tea party etiquette and tries to make them follow the rules. Unfortunately chaos ensues and she uninvites her guests. But then she feels pretty lonely drinking tea by herself. She reinvites her guests, but forgets about rules and simply plays and has a good time with the boys. In the end, the boys invite Julia to their tree fort which is the best way to show their approval.
This book is perfect for the 6-7 year old age range. The illustrations are adorable with plenty of humor including the little brother washing the dog's ears with his sister's toothbrush. For anyone who remembers the frustration of playing with a younger sibling or for children struggling to get along with a younger sibling, this book has a wonderful message about enjoying each other and getting along.
This is not a serious etiquette book. Rather, if Eloise had a little brother, this would be her story.
This book is perfect for the 6-7 year old age range. The illustrations are adorable with plenty of humor including the little brother washing the dog's ears with his sister's toothbrush. For anyone who remembers the frustration of playing with a younger sibling or for children struggling to get along with a younger sibling, this book has a wonderful message about enjoying each other and getting along.
This is not a serious etiquette book. Rather, if Eloise had a little brother, this would be her story.
October 17, 2014
This one is right there appropriate for fans of "Louise Loves Art". Big sisters with lots of little brother love. "How to Behave at a Tea Party" is a cute frilly 10x10" appropriate both sisters and brothers learning about the appropriate etiquette for a proper tea party as well as just when it's appropriate to have plain imaginative fun. Julia and Charles have a lot to teach the siblings of the world. This is good for inclusion and friendship play discussions as well.
Thanks to HC. I read an ARC but I believe the book will be a 10x10" jacketed hardcover at publication.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
will be posted:http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
Thanks to HC. I read an ARC but I believe the book will be a 10x10" jacketed hardcover at publication.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
will be posted:http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
October 31, 2014
Julia invites her brother, Charles, to her tea party, but when his friends show up along with the dog, who wants to eat the peonies, and a frog that jumps in the teacups, the party becomes a disaster. No one is listening to an increasingly bossy Julia and, in frustration, she yells and sends them all scurrying away. But you can’t have a tea party without guests, so Julia tries again and re-invites her brother and lets him bring his friends.
The book is only 32 pages long with cute and often humorous illustrations. There is not a lot of text with only a sentence or two on each page. The book is intended for preschool children and beginning readers. Besides teaching etiquette and manners, Julia also learns tolerance and acceptance of others. And, I suppose, a glimpse of what it’s like in the real world. I would have liked it a little more if it taught the same lesson without using stereotypical ‘girl’ behavior vs ‘boy’ behavior.
The book is only 32 pages long with cute and often humorous illustrations. There is not a lot of text with only a sentence or two on each page. The book is intended for preschool children and beginning readers. Besides teaching etiquette and manners, Julia also learns tolerance and acceptance of others. And, I suppose, a glimpse of what it’s like in the real world. I would have liked it a little more if it taught the same lesson without using stereotypical ‘girl’ behavior vs ‘boy’ behavior.
April 5, 2015
Why I liked this book- Ms. Rosenberg has written a marvelous picture book about a young girl who wants to throw a “fancy” tea party but all she has is not so fancy guests. :) The book has a subtle, but great, message – be flexible – improvise! Live life to the fullest! The book is told in the form of Julia telling rules about a tea party. She says things like “You must NOT slurp like a moose. Or burp like Uncle Victor.” I love how the book shows that things may not go the way you plan, but you can still have fun. The illustrations are really funny, and have little details in them that are fun to look at!
*NOTE I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
*NOTE I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
September 14, 2014
For whatever reason older sisters take this task to heart especially when it comes to younger brothers. It's a pleasure to present How to Behave at a Tea Party (Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) written by Madelyn Rosenberg with illustrations by Heather Ross. Julia's little brother Charles has got a lot to learn; she's just the sister to show the way.
My full recommendation: http://bit.ly/1nK2z2O
My full recommendation: http://bit.ly/1nK2z2O
October 8, 2014
This book reminds me of Tea Rex, but is, I think, more accessible to kids. I often think that Tea Rex will be great because it's a silly story of a troubled tea party involving a dinosaur, but it almost always falls flat. This one, though, any older sibling would understand, and the troubles/advice are all really clear and pretty silly. I am interested in finding the right audience for this book!
October 24, 2015
A girl's idea of a tea party isn't her brother's cup of tea. After trying desperately to make her little brother follow the rules to no avail, the girl throws everyone out. Then, discovers a tea party for one isn't very much fun. So, she decides to change the rules and invites everyone back, including the frog.
Pair with Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules for a good story time compare/contrast.
Pair with Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules for a good story time compare/contrast.
October 17, 2014
A delightful marriage of text and illustration! How To Behave at a Tea Party has all the elements of a fun read aloud. Young readers will identify with Julia's frustration with little brother Charles and cheer when she resolves the problems gracefully. This is a first rate sibling story sure to make kids laugh and ask for an immediate second reading.
November 18, 2014
This book has the right mix of clever and silly to delight young readers! Many will relate with the tale of trying to throw a nice event only to have it all fall apart. I love how Julia is forced to make a decision to either continue with her original plan, or embrace the reality set forth by her guests. "Underwear does not count as a hat." Words to live by!
March 7, 2016
Julia wants to have a proper tea party with her teddy bear. She tries teaching her little brother Charles how to behave properly too. But Charles and his pet frog and the twins from next door have different ideas about tea party behavior. Julie sends them all away, but finds out that it's no fun without guests so she re-invites everyone and lets the chaos ensue!
December 27, 2014
No need to count to 382 and remind yourself that you have to buy stuff like this--because it's just adorable, and I mean that in the good, not the saccharine sense.
Give this to the "Fancy Nancy" crowd--no fake French here, and Julia is a lot more fun than Nancy.
Give this to the "Fancy Nancy" crowd--no fake French here, and Julia is a lot more fun than Nancy.
November 6, 2014
3.75 Stars The joy of sisters, their brother, the neighbors the McKagen brothers and a frog to spoil a tea party...but we can get a long a compromise have tea AND make cool towers out of sugar cubes! Fun pictures, sharing, getting along...forgiveness cute one! !
October 28, 2014
A wonderfully written, nicely designed book of manners and understanding.
April 14, 2014
Silly and lovely. Great for kids who might need a gentle reminder that there's more than one right way to do things.
September 22, 2014
Hard to choose between being fancy and just right vs. being flexible and having friends.
November 7, 2014
This would be fun in a party storytime.
December 27, 2014
Although this book seems to be about manners at a tea party, it is really about being open to possibilities. It is funny and often very silly and kids will LOVE it!
January 16, 2015
Good message and quite silly. However, both text and illustrations pale in comparison to Molly Idle's Tea Rex.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews