Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Sharing tea and goodies with friends at the end of the day is a great way to connect and bond. In Marian Gardner’s A Tea of Kindness, Hen, Duck, and Pig share a special teatime as the sun sets. Duck accidentally spills her tea and is most upset as she watches it form a puddle across the tabletop. Pig reassures Duck, telling her not to worry, as accidents do happen. Together, the three friends clean up the mess, chuckling together as their friendship is strengthened with kindness. As the threesome enjoy their tea underneath the stars that have now appeared, Hen reflects on their actions: “Kind words matter, big and small. Kindness makes the best of all.”

Marian Gardner’s picture book, A Tea of Kindness, is a bedtime story of soft feathers and big adventures. Told in rhyming verse, this heartwarming treasure of a story will help young readers accept and give kindness, because kindness is meant to be shared. The plot is subtle and develops with care, from the moment tea is served (and spilled) until it is cleaned up and the friendship bond is strengthened. I love the illustrations by the author, which nurture the coziness of the farm setting along with the farm animals as main characters. The dialogue is used effectively to move the plot forward and emphasize the themes. The key messages of this story are compassion and friendship, along with forgiveness, helping others, and, of course, kindness. The author uses simple words and lyrical phrases to make the message clear.