Wildflower Tea [Library Binding]

Ethel Pochocki (Author), Roger Essley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1993 | Age Level: 6 and up

Throughout the summer and early fall, an old man goes out and gathers a variety of flowers and herbs until the time comes to make his special tea.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-"One sunny Monday in May, an old man went out with a basket in one hand and a walking stick in the other.... He stooped to caress a white stone polished smooth by the water and there, by the toe of his shoe, he spied some violets, their faces turned up to his." So begins a lyrical, seven-month record of a nature-lover's scavenging. In November, the bounty he has reaped all summer provides his wildflower tea: "The man breathed in deeply-of rosebuds and mint, of sunny meadows and salty cliffs, of streams in no hurry and the sound of bagpipes." The language is rhythmic and charming; Essley's romantic pastels are done in natural tones touched with gold. Striking double-paged spreads, especially those of the sea and of cornfields, capture the breathtaking essence of the seasons and the solitary nature of this gentleman's explorations. Unfortunately, the text strikes an adult chord, and the illustrations don't add enough interest or energy to sustain the leisurely pace. For a more age-appropriate treatment of the seasons, try the Provensens' Year at Maple Hill Farm (Aladdin, 1988).
Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Juv) (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671781154
• ISBN-13: 978-0671781156
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,201,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Reading ~ Feast for the Eyes, December 29, 2010

By 

L. L. Lynn (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wildflower Tea (Library Binding)

This is an inviting story that makes you want to join in the yearlong quest.
It is beautifully written with just enough detail to delight the senses without wordy overload.
A very satisfying read with lush imaginations possible for all ages.
It is one of our family's favorite read-alouds.
I will look for more works by this author.
Warmly recommended.

{{* *}}

5.0 out of 5 stars all of spring summer and fall in his wildflower tea, June 10, 2006

By 

Michelle Pettit - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wildflower Tea (Library Binding)

A quiet story of an old man who collects flowers throughout the spring, summer and fall -- and in the winter makes a tea of the mixture of blossoms he has collected all year. The story is poetically told -- and, like poetry, it's meaning is more than it's outline. I think it would be appreciated by anyone who enjoys thinking about life and time, and remembering; and I imagine where you are in your life will determine your response. I read this story to a 12 year old girl and she liked it well enough (told me she would give it 4 stars) It is about nature and old age...and although it is only 30 pages long, the story seems to speak mostly for and to someone who has their own perspective of age. (the story is not from the point of view of children) I may be wrong -- Try it on a younger child, and see what s/he thinks! At any rate - it's a beautiful, lyrical story.