Review Detail

Tiger and Mei see the family processing tea leaves, and it all looks like great fun. However, even though they enthusiastically try to get involved, their unskilled help leads to disaster. Tiger gets scared they will get in trouble, so they both run far away. However, Mei convinces Tiger that it is time to go home and apologize. This simple tale is a fictionalized version of what commonly happens when toddler and preschool children try to help without supervision. The relatable feelings help young readers to be willing to take responsibility and see that things turn out fine. Processing Tea leaves is not a common practice I am familiar with. I was a bit disappointed that there was no backmatter or note about how it is done traditionally, which would have enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Overall, this is a tale with a happy ending for young children to learn to take responsibility.