The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop and the Longmont Public Library are partnering to host Newbery Honor and APALA award-winning author Andrea Wang! We'll celebrate the launch of her newest picture book, Luli and the Language of Tea, along with a virtual visit from the illustrator, Hyewon Yum. We'll also celebrate the recent success of Watercress, which won the Caldecott and APALA Awards, and received a Newbery honor from the American Library Association.
Please note this event will be held at the Longmont Public Library with Andrea's books available to purchase on-site through The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop. Attendees must bring proof of registration for admittance.
Though they may speak different languages, kids from all over the world come together to enjoy the shared pastime of tea in this delicious book for young readers.
When five-year-old Luli joins her new English as a Second Language class, the playroom is quiet. Luli can’t speak English, and neither can anyone else. That’s when she has a brilliant idea to host a tea party and bring them all together.
Luli removes her teapot, thermos, and teacups from her bag and calls out “Chá!” in her native Chinese. One by one, her classmates pipe up in recognition: in Russian, Hindi, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili. Tea is a tasty language they all know well, and it gives them a chance to share and enjoy each other’s company. When all the tea is gone and it’s time for dessert, Luli gets to use her favorite English word, cookie! After that, the playroom isn’t so quiet.
Informed by her own experience as a child of Chinese immigrant parents, Andrea Wang makes the point that when you’re looking to communicate with people, you look for a common bond. The word for “tea” is similar in many languages, and tea becomes the unifying metaphor that brings a diverse group of children together. Additional material at the back of the book explores the rich and ancient history of tea drinking across cultures all around the world and contains maps, statistics, and fascinating details that will delight young readers.
Andrea Wang is an acclaimed author of children’s books. Her book Watercress was awarded the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a New England Book Award, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. Her other books, The Many Meanings of Meilan, Magic Ramen, and The Nian Monster, have also received awards and starred reviews. Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in Colorado with her family.
Hyewon Yum is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed books for children, including This Is Our House, The Twins’ Blanket, There Are No Scary Wolves, and Last Night. Her book Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten! received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award. She has also illustrated Not Little, by Maya Myers, for Neal Porter Books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.
