by Linda Ashman (Author) Alea Marley (Illustrator)
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.
WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
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.