Customer Reviews

Taking Tea with Alice: Looking-Glass Tea Parties and Fanciful Victorian Teas

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No tea library should be without "Taking Tea with Alice". It is well-conceived and a source of many creative ideas. The photos are wonderful. I particularly liked the children's photos and have found them useful in prompting ideas for other children's tea parties. The table layouts are accurate and beautiful. The ideas presented are within the means of any tea party organizer. This book is a good value and not filled with fluff. An informative, fun book for all ages!

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Alice in Wonderland, Tea, or just plain entertaining. The book is beautifully illustrated and contains many creative party ideas for children and adults alike. I have tried, and enjoyed, several of the recipes - I particularly recommend the trifle - a real show stopper! I also enjoyed the historical information about the "real" Alice. This book is a "must" for any lover of good food and gracious entertaining.

According to the inside back flap, one of the authors works for an advertising agency. That makes sense, because this book looks and reads like an ad. It keeps telling you how sweet and darling everything is, until you (or I, anyway) want to be sick. Lots of annoying photos of children. Not enough photos to show you which foods go with which recipes; you have to guess from the larger photos which still don't indicate which of the microscopic things on the table are the foods in which recipes. The quality of the recipes is inconsistent; they seem to use different words for the same ingredients from one recipe to the next, and some ingredients and procedures are given "Victorian" names and never explained. Other recipes consist of "ask your local baker to make this for you, or look in some other cookbook." Not satisfactory. This is definitely a guide for *children's* parties, with suggestions for menus and activities for children. I suppose you could translate the ideas to parties for adults, if you can get past the breathless sentimentality of the prose, which is all about making things oh-so-special for the little ones. Why do I sound so annoyed by all this? I don't have anything against children or their parties. What bothers me is the emptiness of the prose and the cutesiness of the design, combined with the lack of really useful photos, captioning, recipe treatments, and historical background that would have given this book some substance.

Though the pictures and layout are indeed beautiful it is unlikely that anyone but the most skilled and well-equipped person would be able to reproduce the parties shown in the photographs. Most people won't have the supplies necessary for the tablesettings or even the activities, and will not want to spend the money necessary to acquire them. Recipes are not practical or tasty. Suggestions are not detailed enough to truly employ in any kind of meaningful manner. Text is filled with fluff and flowery sweetness and leaves the reader wishing the authors had spent more time with truly detailed instructions for the preparation of a tea party.

This tea party book with its references to "Alice in Wonderland" and its scrumptiously inviting table settings is a feast for the eyes. In addition to its excellent party-planning ideas, it provides lots of imaginative games and fascinating historical tidbits that enhance the already luscious recipes inside. And it is not "just" a children's book....the trifle and the mimosa punch are going to be welcome additions to my holiday dining table next Christmas! All in all, it fits in comfortably with and enhances my growing library of books on tea rituals, decorative ideas, antiques, and Victoriana. I love it!

My daughter and I had many fun hours planning and hosting several parties for some other small homeschooled friends. We mixed a few recipes and substituted some games to suit a diverse age group. Our guests were very complimentary and we received many hugs in thanks.

This book has easy to read and follow instructions for making beautiful and tasty tea time treats using easy to find ingredients.

Wonderful suggestions for themed tea parties; from what to serve, decorations, games, etc. The suggestions cater to children's tea parties, but there are also recipes and ideas for grown-up and family teas.

This is a great book to add to your collection or give as a gift!

If you're looking for a book with lots of beautiful garden scenes,tablesettings and practical information about the real life "Alice" and Victorian lore, look no further. This book is full of the how-to's of tea party planning, including recipes, activities, games and everything you need to know about taking tea. Each chapter is dedicated to either a "Looking Glass Tea" i.e. "Drink Me" (Tea With The Mad Hatter), "Painting The Roses Red" (Tea In The Garden) & "The Coronation of Queen Alice(A Nursery Tea)or Victorian Teas i.e "In Honor of St. Valentine" (A Cupid's Tea),A Midsummer Night(Tea With The Fairies)and "The Holiday Yuletide"(A Family Tea). These are new ideas for parties based on old-fashioned ways. Definitely a must-read for Alice in Wonderland enthusiasts, or anyone who enjoys staging tea parties for friends and children. This book would also make a great gift for new mothers, tea-totalers, and cookbook collectors.Loved it.

Even though this book is geared toward children it is a must have for the adult tea giver. I host an annual Alice in Wonderland Tea that I do for adults only and I have gotten so many clever ideas from it. It is the kind of book you will go over many times because every time I do, I get a new idea! The recipes, surprisingly, are accurate and delicious. Having tried many, I can assure you they are pretty much "spot on". It is truly a magical book and a must have for every tea party hostess.

A sweet little book full of ideas for "high tea" and party games in the vintage style. It also has numerous recipes to make.