by Andrea Wang
First published 2022
Five-year-old Luli sits in her new English as a Second Language classroom surrounded by silence. She cannot speak English. Neither can her classmates. The playroom feels heavy with unspoken words and unfamiliar faces. Then Luli gets an idea. She pulls her teapot, thermos, and teacups from her bag and calls out "Chá!" in Chinese. Something magical happens. One by one, her classmates recognize the word and respond in their own languages. Russian, Hindi, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili voices fill the air. Tea becomes their shared vocabulary, a bridge across the gap between different worlds. The children pour cups and pass them around, finally connecting through this universal drink. When the tea runs out, Luli discovers her favorite English word for what comes next: cookie. The quiet playroom transforms into something warm and alive with voices.
Genres: fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: China
Period: 21st-century
40 pages · Hardcover · Neal Porter Books