Book an adventure, declares the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Or should that be advent-cha?
Tea and books have many things in common. For starters they both have leaves that can magically transport you to other worlds. Tea-drinking and reading are also quiet ways to connect with yourself and others, and both are best enjoyed in a mindful state. Paired, they make leisure time a sensory experience. All said, the perfect match. It’s no wonder author CS Lewis once famously declared, “You can’t get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
This month sees Book Week roll around again. For some families, Book Week is a tough time of year: how to make a costume that simultaneously reflects a child’s favourite book character, can be created within the skill and budget of the parents, and will withstand an entire day of school? For others it’s a highlight of the calendar, a chance to revel in the magic of reading and the transformative nature of story.
Fortunately for tea-loving families out there, here are three books that combine distinct characters with diverse takes on tea.
The classic: The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr
An adventure comes to visit Sophie and her mother. They’re having tea when a hungry tiger comes to the door and invites himself in, then proceeds to eat the whole tea spread as well as what’s cooking for supper, everything in the fridge and pantry. When Sophie’s father comes home, there’s nothing to eat… so they go to a café. Sophie’s mum adds ‘Tiger Food’ to the grocery order, in case the tiger comes again. “But he never did,” the book ends.
Costume idea: Dressing as Sophie, her mum or her dad is fairly straightforward, but their clothes aren’t memorably associated with their characters; going as the tiger holding a teapot, however, is instantly iconic.
The fantastic: The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
A coming-of-age tale from another land, The Tea Dragon Society series started as a web comic and is now a beautifully illustrated set of graphic novels about a blacksmith’s apprentice, Greta, who rescues a tea dragon – a tiny creature that, with proper care, can produce tea leaves. Greta discovers the existence of the Tea Dragon Society, a group of people with tea dragons, which focuses on the wellbeing of these creatures.
Costume idea: The humanoid characters are diverse, with a range of attire and hair colours, plus features like pointy ears or horns; the dragons are harder to emulate but are adorable and unique.
The linguistic: Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang & Hyewon Yum
Illustrating diversity at its cutest, this heartwarming picture book is about a room full of immigrant children who are united by tea (or chai/tee/çay/té…) thanks to Luli, a Chinese girl with her own tea set. Tea may have come from China, but it has spread all around the world, and they may not have much English between them, but the children all know what tea is and how to share it.
Costume idea: The children’s garments aren’t all that noteworthy but the teaware that represents each different country could make nice accessories.
Children’s Book Week runs from Saturday 16 to Saturday 23 August 2025.