Cloud Tea Monkeys

"The poetic text is vividly descriptive. . . . The deftly spun, emotionally resonant fairy-tale story . . . begs to be read aloud. No design detail is overlooked, from the gorgeous cover (and its glossy, raised, curling, monkey-shaped tea steam) forward."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Carnegie Medalist Mal Peet and his wife, Elspeth Graham, team up for a captivating, lushly illustrated tale evoking a Chinese legend.
Tashi lives in a tiny village at the foot of the mountains, below the tea plantations where her mother works. When her mother falls ill, Tashi goes alone to the plantation, hoping to earn money for the doctor. But she is far too small to harvest the tender shoots, and her clumsy efforts anger the cruel Overseer. She is desolate, until — chack-chack-chack! — something extraordinary happens. Inspired by a centuries-old legend of tea-picking monkeys, here is a richly told tale full of vivid characters: the heartless Overseer, the enigmatic Royal Tea Taster, and — far away — an empress with a penchant for tea.Juan Wijngaard's illustrations in ‘Cloud Tea Monkeys’ are stunning; you can see the very hairs on the monkeys' bodies, and the indigo and violet of saris and turbans practically glow. – Wall Street Journal

The tale has the feel of a time-honed fable—simple, elegant, and moving—which is especially well complemented by Wijngaard’s sumptuous illustrations.
– Booklist

Unique and atmospheric, this tale freshly presents the karmic rewards of kindness.
– Publishers Weekly

Expressive, richly detailed ink-and-gouache illustrations. Tashi’s solemn face as she comforts her bedridden mother, the dynamic depictions of the Tea Taster swishing tea and spitting out a mouthful, the play of light through the branches under which the monkeys eat fruit, and even the delicate tracery of a decorative pattern on the bottom of each page all contribute to the thoughtful bookmaking.
– School Library Journal

Peet and Graham’s polished narrative is carefully shaped and the fluid, piquant language makes it a natural choice for reading aloud . . .This will especially resonate with children whose families live on the economic edge, and the ‘helpful monkey’ solution is both pleasingly fantastical and gratifying.
– Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books

Absolutely superb. The unique story line captures a number of important themes in economics, including the vulnerability of the working poor and the incidence of child labor in developing countries. Stunning illustrations further add to the richness of Cloud Tea Monkeys, making this book as much of a treasure as the tea described within.
– Rutgers University Project on Economics and ChildrenHusband and wife team Mal Peet (1947–2015) and Elspeth Graham wrote four books together: Cloud Tea Monkeys, Mysterious Traveler, Night Sky Dragons and The Treasure of Pirate Frank. Mal Peet also authored several YA novels, including the Carnegie Medal–winning novel Tamar, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor BookLife: An Exploded Diagram and three Paul Faustino novels: Keeper, The Penalty, and Exposure.

Juan Wijngaard has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Shakespeare’s Globe: An Interactive Pop-up Theatre and the Kate Greenaway Medal–winning Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady. He lives in New Mexico.