The Children's Book Podcast

Andrea Wang shares Luli and the Language of Tea, a story that reminds us that when you're looking to communicate with people, you look for a common bond. 

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang; illustrated by Hyewon Yum

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, 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, and 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 the 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.

NOTABLE QUOTES:

(7:33) “I write the kind of stories I do to keep a connection to [my parents]. And it's sort of my way of keeping a conversation with them because they're no longer with us. I feel like I didn't really understand my parents until I was a grownup and what they had gone through in their childhoods in China. And so this is just my way of honoring them and writing about some of the things that we shared as I was growing up with them.”

(8:31) “It's really hard to give up everything you've ever known and move somewhere completely different, where you don't speak the language that well or at all.”

(13:45) “Just being respectful of people from different cultures is huge. Just instead of reacting with fear, but reacting with curiosity perhaps.”

(14:19) “We all have our own story that's going on from day to day. And then, when someone comes in or we're put into a new situation, we're suddenly thrust into the middle of someone else's story. I. We have to observe and react and figure out what's going on.”

(18:22) “Reach out and make a new friend. You might not think that they look like you or that you have anything in common, but if you just try a little bit, share some of yourself, like Luli shared some of herself and her culture, you might find that you actually have a lot in common.” 

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• Andrea Wang website - andreaywang.com

• Purchase the Book - Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang; illustrated by Hyewon Yum

TALK ABOUT THE EPISODE:

1. Have you ever had tea? What kind of tea did you have last? Were you drinking tea with someone else? Where were you? Try to bring back memories of why, what, when, where, and why in order to bring even more details to mind.

2. Have you ever welcomed a new student into your classroom? What words or actions did you share to help make that person feel more comfortable and welcomed? What things did you and your class do to get to know the new person better? 

3. What does it mean to belong? How does it feel to belong? What types of words or actions could you share with someone new in order to make them feel like they belong?

CREDITS:

This podcast episode of The Children’s Book Podcast was written, edited, and produced by Matthew Winner. For a full transcript of this episode, visit matthewcwinner.com. 

Write to me or send me a message at matthewmakespods@gmail.com. 

Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/). 

Our music is by Podington Bear. 

Podcast hosting by Libsyn. 

You can support the show and buy me a coffee at www.matthewcwinner.com.

We are a proud member of Kids Listen, the best place to discover the best in kids podcasts. Learn more at kidslisten.org.

Fellow teachers and librarians, want a way to explore building a stronger culture of reading in our communities? In The Reading Culture podcast, Beanstack co-founder Jordan Bookey hosts conversations that dive into beloved authors' personal journeys and insights into motivating young people to read. And I am a big fan! Check out the Reading Culture Podcast with Jordan Bookey, from Beanstack. Available wherever podcasts are found.

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