Emma Lea’s First Tea Party

Emma Lea's Tea Party

Emma Lea's Tea Party

Emma Lea is finally old enough to attend her grandmother’s annual tea party for the ladies of the family but her excitement excitement turns to disappointment when she realizes that Grammy has set her at a children’s table instead of at the main table with the other women. She transforms a family tradition to include the entire family and receives her own grown-up sized teapot, a special gift which sets the stage for the second book in the Emma Lea series.

Look-Inside-The-Book Preview


Hardcover & jacketed, 32 pages
Original watercolor art by Jerianne Van Dijk
Written by Babette Donaldson
ISBN: 978-0-9792612-0-6

Price: $16.95

Amazon Review

Emma Lea’s First Tea Party is a beautiful book, both in content and illustrations. The children in my third grade classroom loved the book, and enjoyed how Emma Lea’s problem got solved. We do a lot of talking about problem-solving of all sorts, and the relationships in Emma Lea’s family make this extra special. The wonderful birthday celebration gives examples to kids of ways to give of themselves without having to spend money. Isn’t that what it should be all about? This is a great book with many different life lessons to be shared. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating for children, which truly add to the story of a loving family.

  • The Emma Lea Books

Book Reviews

Both the watercolors and the well thought out story are beautifully done. I liked the fact that Emma Lea's best friend is a boy. I appreciated that logical explanations were given to the little girl for the wishes being "granted" and how she realizes the teapot not actually being "magic" didn't make it any less "special". ~ ~ ~ K. Lio
This story brings to life family traditions and the value of giving 'real' and meaningful gifts from the heart. It also shows the importance of family in creating great moments in a child's life. I read this to my 5 year old niece, and both she and her mother were captivated by the story. ~ ~ ~ Carol Scuderi
I really enjoyed this book with my little girl because I felt it introduced children to "helping out" and lets them know just because we have to do chores and make preparations, even for tea parties, that it doesn't mean we can't have fun while doing so and the biggest lesson to be learned from Emma Lea's Tea With Daddy is that spending time together is the most important gift of all!
This is a wonderful story of a little girl's dream with the magic lamp. To my delight, it combines fantasy with family values and reality. My granddaughter loves it. ~ ~ ~ Marianne Kummell
Oh, I do love these books. They are perfect for an afternoon read with a cuddly grandchild. Lots of information and the art work is enchanting. ~ ~ ~ Judy Wright
I read Emma Lea's Tea Party and was immediately moved to send it to my niece Emma. She is 4 years old. She absolutely loves the book and thinks it is about her. Such a beautiful tale with illustrations to match. A little girl can weave fantasies about this book. I can hardly wait until the next Emma Lea book! ~ ~ ~ Penny Hastings
This is a very special book about family traditions, bonding and growing up. The story of Emma Lea is delightful. If you like Fancy Nancy, you will love Emma Lea. ~ ~ ~ Jill Vanderwood
Babette Donaldson tells this story with a beauty and sparseness that mimics the rituals of the ceremony and Jerianne Van Dijk illustrates the scenes with an impressionistic style, drawing the reader into the folds of Emma Lea's kimono and into the tea house with purity, tranquility, and harmony. ~ ~ ~ Ginger Manley
This book takes a look at tranquility, purity, harmony, and respect taught through the experiences of the Chanoyu tea ceremony. I know that this book will be infused into the study my students do of the Japanese culture. Once again the author and illustrator together have created a beautiful keepsake book for children. ~ ~ ~ J. Gilmour

Author, Babette Donaldson

Click & Hold To View Video
Join our TeaZine Community

powered by MailChimp!