Shark at Sister Tea

When Mama and Papa head out on an afternoon errand, they leave their daughters alone for the very first time on the island where the family lives. Thrilled with their autonomy, bow-wearing cat Sadie and scarved rodent Flora throw themselves a “sister tea.” Delicately hued pen, ink, and watercolor vignettes by Ruzzier (Bianca and the Butterfly) capture the giddy feel of independence as well as the party’s impressive trappings—the girls festoon a wisteria-hung branch and feast on a pink cake decorated with roses. Suddenly, a stranger appears, sporting a yellow rain slicker and claiming to be, in the sly words of Joosse (Roawr!) “a weary fish... erman.” Readers will instantly recognize a shark—and not a baby one, either. The sisters’ revelation arrives a bit more slowly, but spotting the guest’s double row of teeth plunges them into action. Once they tie him up and toss him back to sea, there’s only question left teasingly unanswered: will they tell their returning parents? It’s a shark-in-sheep’s-clothing story that celebrates childhood courage and resourcefulness as well as siblings’ sacred bond. Ages 3–7. (May)