The Tea Party in the Woods

by Akiko Miyakoshi, Akiko Miyakoshi (Illustrator)

Overview

Kikko sets out after her father with a forgotten pie for Grandma. When she arrives at a strange house in the wintry woods, a peek in the window reveals that the footprints Kikko had been following did not belong to her father at all, but to a bear in a long coat and hat! Alice in Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood in this charmed tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771385947
Publisher:	Kids Can Press, Limited
Publication date:	08/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	54 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Akiko Miyakoshi was born in Saitama, on the island of Honshu in Japan. She began creating picture books while studying visual communication design at Musashino Art University. Her first picture book, The Storm, won the Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix.

Editorial Reviews

Miyakoshi's illustrations are quietly magical. Viewed close up, they seem to be made of simple grainy marks, but if you hold the book at arm's length, the drawings take on the appearance of selectively tinted old photographs…It's a gem of a book, with just enough Grimm foreboding and a suitably enigmatic ending.

The New York Times Book Review - Sophie Blackall

As beguilingly surreal as the Mad Hatter's party, with its own enigmatic appeal.—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The graceful proportions, atmospheric detail, and quiet, bewitching light of Miyakoshi's charcoals distinguish this small gem.—Publishers Weekly, starred review

... a beautiful Alice in Wonderland/Little Red Riding Hood mashup.—Quill & Quire

This is a delightfully unique story with striking illustrations ...—School Library Journal

Miyakoshi's fairy-tale-like language, fanciful scenes, and cheery ending make this offbeat take on Little Red Riding Hood perfect for sharing.—Booklist

... the varied delights offered by this strange, captivating picture book.—The Boston Globe

The hardest part of letting children do things on their own ... is giving them an opportunity to fail ... which is why this amazing book resonated with all three of us.—Globe and Mail

A superb, atmospheric mix of fairy tale and dream, wild woods and home comfort.—Toronto Star

... young readers will enjoy exploring The Tea Party in the Woods on their own while adults similarly will enjoy sharing it with the young people in their lives.—CM Magazine

... simple, textured drawings are detailed enough to convey the characters' emotions.—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

★ 2015-04-15
When Kikko wakes up to snow, her father goes off to clear the walk around Grandma's house but forgets the pie he was to take with him. Kikko hurries to catch up to him, falling and crushing the pie in the process, but she discovers she has been following not her dad but a bear in a suit and hat! She follows him to a house she's not seen before, where a well-dressed lamb invites her to tea. Around the tea table are seated carefully attired animals, greeting Kikko with interested gazes. They sit her down, invite her to eat and drink, and replace the smashed pie with slices of their own forest-made pies before accompanying her to Grandma's in a grand parade. The illustrations are lovely and mysterious: what looks like charcoal or pencil softly indicates forest and interiors as well as the visages of upright and clothed deer, bear, rabbit, goat, and others. Spare use of color sparks in Kikko's bright gold hair, her red hat, and the multihued pie slices. Minimal line and shadow suggest the forest as a Japanese print might, while the tumbled richness of the tea table evokes rich Dutch still lifes. Kikko's family reads as Asian, perhaps Japanese, and the animals are as serene and otherworldly as Totoro. As beguilingly surreal as the Mad Hatter's party, with its own enigmatic appeal. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews