Ema Lea's First Tea Ceremony

The first in a series of books focusing on Emma Lea and the art of tea does justice in teaching young ones to slowing down and quiet the soul. The author, Babette Donaldson, is from Nevada City and a serious tea ceremony devotee—so much so that she travels the world in search of the experience. In this 2008 story Emma is invited to a traditional English tea party at her friend Janelle’s house. Janelle and her family have recently returned from a trip to England and want to share their new found delight. On the walk home Emma sees her friend Sam, a Japanese-American, and mentions that she has just experienced a “real’ tea party. Sam needless to say, is a bit insulted. Unaware of the origin of tea, Emma and her mother are invited to join Sam and his mother for a Japanese tea cereony. The story then focuses on the details of this experience. Emma gains great respect for the Japanese culture and its introspective ways. By the end of the book Emma concludes there is no one proper way to experience tea, but that it opens up the world to her by sharing a cup of tea with diverse friends. A great read to gain appreciation for the Japanese tea ceremony and its history. This book has lovely water color artwork by Jerianna Van Dijk to portray Emma’s journey and a recipe for Matcha Mint Cookies to begin one’s own tea. C. Murray

Zen Shorts

Zen Shorts,

by Jon J. Muth, is a philosophical picture book that leaves the reader both thoughtful and peaceful. Muth presents three classic Zen stories: one about the power of giving, another about the true essence of fortune and misfortune, and a third about forgiveness. These stories are presented in a gentle frame of a relationship between a wise, giant panda and the three siblings who are his neighbors. The calm panda, named Stillwater, responds to each child’s need with a story to suit them. The gentle relationship between the Panda and the children is painted in soft watercolors, and the embedded Zen lessons are black ink strokes against solid pale colors. It is a beautiful book to simply look at. All the Zen stories are familiar classics, but the telling here is clear and engaging and accessible to even young children. My high school students have debated the lessons of the Zen stories and then chuckled at the image of a small boy resting atop the belly of the enormous panda. I leave it on my desk, and students pick it up to show their friends. My own young children ask to see it and to hear it again and again.
It is beautiful introduction to the concept of Zen, but is a lesson in the broader concepts of what it means to live without assumptions, and with freedom.

By Lauren, Secondary School Teacher and Library Manager