Phoebe Dupree Is Coming to Tea!

by Linda Ashman (Author) Alea Marley (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Abby is anxious to host the perfect tea party for a friend she idolizes, but life serves up a sweet taste of the fun to be had when perfection is off the table.

Have you met Phoebe--Miss Phoebe Dupree?

Phoebe's as perfect as perfect can be.

To Abby, her friend Phoebe can do no wrong. Phoebe is speedy. Phoebe is smart. She's equally brilliant at science and art. So when the budding hostess invites Phoebe over for a tea party, everything from the sugary treats on the menu to Abby's dog, Louie, must be, well . . . perfect. But when life--and possibly Louie--send a clear message to let loose, the girls indulge in a perfectly imperfect playdate.

Linda Ashman's vivacious rhyme and Alea Marley's inviting illustrations serve up a classic tale of enduring friendship at a tea party that will leave readers wanting to pull up a chair.

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 2--The book opens with a written invitation from the narrator Abby to Phoebe, inviting her to tea. Abby, with pale skin and a ginger bun, is all but ecstatic that Phoebe, Black with a halo of natural hair, is to be her guest. There is a polka dot teapot and there are matching plates, and everything must be perfect. "Have you met Phoebe? Phoebe's as perfect as perfect can be. Phoebe is speedy. Phoebe is smart. She's equally brilliant at science and art." The pressure! The dog gets a bath and instructions in how to behave, and a doll and two bears are enlisted as extra guests. Abby wants Phoebe to love tea so much that she'll want to come again. Budding friendship has never been so earnestly portrayed in this heartwarming look at the truth behind hospitality: We share so we can show people how much we like being in their company. The illustrations of all the preparations roll out with lockstep pacing and mounting excitement, but then there is one clumsy misstep and subsequent chaos. Phoebe and Abby's friendship is cemented by dented cupcakes, frosting everywhere, and the promise of more tea parties to come. VERDICT With an ice cream-colored palette and an energetic drawing style that conveys the entire spectrum between worry and absolute glee, this is a generous, SEL-laced glimpse of how all the best friendships get their start.--Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

An enthusiastic host awaits an invited guest for tea and hopes that everything will be as perfect as the guest herself is. . . . The text is a well-balanced representation of Abby's voice in rhyming quartets that glide effortlessly for a smooth read-aloud. The page turns are expertly designed to maximize suspense and drama. Marley's innocent illustrations combine pink and pearls with wet dogs and cargo pants for a delightful celebration of a broad range of girlhood expressions and experiences. . . . Funny, subtly empowering, and sweet.
—Kirkus Reviews

Alea Marley's colorful, digital illustrations look like paper dolls, and the poetic, lilting style makes the book easy to read. It brings high tea down to a little girl's world and teaches that you don't have to be ­perfect to make friends.
—WORLD Magazine
Linda Ashman
Linda Ashman is the author of more than forty picture books, including The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide, illustrated by David Small; Babies on the Go, illustrated by Jane Dyer; and Wonder Dogs, illustrated by Karen Obuhanych. Linda's own Wonder Dogs have been champion shedders, squirrel-chasers, and sock-stealers. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and their dog, Stella. For more, visit LindaAshman.com.

Karen Obuhanych is an illustrator of picture books with a love for wet noses, slobbery kisses, and muddy paws. When not creating artwork, Karen spends her time with her family including Uggi the Pomchi on the Big Island, Hawaii.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536204834
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
June 01, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV039200 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Manners & Etiquette
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Etiquette
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
Etiquette for children

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