Tea with Grandpa

by Barney Saltzberg

Spending time with Grandpa is always fun.

Singling, laughing, eating, and playing.

And when it's time to say goodbye,

It won't be for long because

He's never too far away to have tea.

 

In this sweetly simple, rhyming picture book by acclaimed author/artist Barney Saltzberg, a little girl tells us about her daily tea ritual with her grandfather where they sing and laugh and clink their teacups with the help of their computers and a video chat.

 

A Neal Porter Book

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Storytime, Food, Technology, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Barney Saltzberg is the author and illustrator of close to 50 books for children, including Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses, Good Egg, Cornelius P. Mud , Crazy Hair Day and the bestselling Touch and Feel Kisses series with over 800,000 copies in print. He has two new releases, Tea With Grandpa and Chengdu Could Not Would Not Fall Asleep coming this spring.
Additionally, he’s recorded four CDs of music for children. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two dogs.

Reviews

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little girl and her grandpa share tea time every day at 3:00. The last spread of the book reveals they are not actually together; they are using the computer to Skype or Facetime. It’s nice to see the portrayal of an older person using technology.

[Jack & Lily Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute - it was a three star book until the end! :)

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful story of the joy of sharing a daily cup of tea with a beloved grandfather, with an unexpected twist ending.

[Allyson (Belle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really loved this, especially the little surprise twist at the end. I feel like that is very relevant with the current Covid situation and children being unable to see some family members right now. My grandpa died last year in the nursing home after we had been unable to see him for 9 months due to Covid restrictions, so this one definitely hit home for me. Such a wonderful little story.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandpa and granddaughter share a daily tea party.

At the end, we find out that they're using a screen to communicate.

A good story to reassure little ones that even if they're moving away from grandparents, the relationship can continue.

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great conversations for the beginning of the school year--ways to communicate and connect:-)

[Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so sweet, and the ending got me good--adorable. This would be great for a storytime, and it's short enough to read with younger kids.

[Kenneth Clayton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A far to frequent reality that many children don’t live close to family members. Many folks are not invested into a people and place. While there is much to be thankful for with technology and being able to have video chats with those far away. I wonder if we have fooled ourselves into thinking the image on the screen is real. Physical contact with a real human being is irreplaceable. Use the tech as needed but seek to replace with reality of flesh and blood as much as possible.

[raccoon reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute but simple book about a granddaughter having tea with her grandfather. The punchline at the end is that they are doing it over a computer. ZOOM to the rescue! I think books like this that might normalize connecting with family in different ways during covid is great. Granted this book was published in 2014 so it was clearly ahead of its time. And with vaccines rolling out, books that highlight online connections may not be as necessary as they were several months ago.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

The primary market for this book is surely grandfathers, or wannabe grandfathers. Or else, maybe, parents who would like to get Grandpa more involved in their child's life.

This toddler-scaled book has rhymes and cute watercolor illustrations. The narrator, a sweet little granddaughter, visits with her grandfather through the technology of their computers and a video chat.

Together they sing and laugh. They clink their teacups and have a daily tea party.

FIVE STARS

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little (a lot) biased about this book because I am a sap for any book with a grandpa, but this is a simple read, with only one line per page, and the end of the book reveals that the girl is having "tea" with her grandpa over video chat, which I think is great and relevant for today's kids.

[Aspen Ganison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this book is relatable for children who do not have grandparents close to them. It’s very sweet and I enjoy the integration of technology in the story. The illustrations are not my favorite but still a good read!

[Amy Smith]

Tea with Grandpa is a great book for younger audiences as it provides simple sentences with an easy to follow plotline. There are opportunities to practice the early literacy skill of phonological awareness through the usage of rhymes.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about staying connected. The reader sees a little girl having tea with her grandpa at a certain time each day. The ending surprises the reader and reveals what is the truth for many people. Great illustrations.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grandfather and grandchild enjoy teatime everyday while they live faraway. The screen in shown at the end of the story that they enjoy teatime together via a video call.

2026 storytime theme: Tea

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Sue Mosher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! A little girl meets everyday with her Grandpa for tea, in a way that lots of today's kids will relate to.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple story, good for story times. A nice balance to books which always show grandparents physically present. Especially good story in a military community, where nobody lives near family.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, I wish the text didn't rhyme, but it's an awfully cute read.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great modern day twist at the end!

[Amandasaved · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's ending will wreck you if you are home sick.

This book has short dialogue and animations that look similar to those of the 1990's cartoon "Doug", however it is a sweet story.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the simplicity and heart of this book. I've given it as a gift to grandparents who live far away from their grandchildren.

[Josephine Burks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book read to us at Baby storytime for upcoming Grandparents day!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, rhyming read about a young one and their tea time with grandpa.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story with surprising ending that makes this 2014 picture book especially relevant in Covid-times.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book about a girl's relationship with her grandpa from a distance. A perfect book for quarantine.

[Katie Oflibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. I'll be featuring this book on Monday's storytime since so many children are visiting their grandparents remotely right now.

[Lowell Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kids book

My granddaughter loved this book, we read it all the time. It is my go to book whenever I want to cheer her up!!

[Valerie Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet tale about daily tea ritual between two family members. Loved it.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the plot twist at the end. Great idea to connect remotely, BTW!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty darn cute. Rituals are important to children. Not sure about the appearance of the lion in the middle, though.