The Queen Is Coming to Tea

In this imagination-fueled frolic, a canine footman arrives at the door of a girl named Ellie, bearing a scroll from the Queen, who invites herself to tea. “We’d be honored!” Ellie replies, and she and her elephant companion, Langley, fetch provisions. They fly to Paris in an open-cockpit plane for cake, ride a rickshaw to China for tea, motor to Italy to pick up lemons, and hail a taxi to Manhattan to borrow a ballerina’s “fluffiest, fanciest, frilliest” tutu (which, truth be told, actually looks like a ball gown). At each stop, Ellie encounters helpful individuals, mostly animals, who return home with her, eager to meet the Queen. After the assembled group eats all of the cake and tea and promptly falls asleep, Ellie awakens and shares tea for two with the Queen—her mother. Lodding (Painting Pepette) and von Kitzing (Pearls of Wisdom) leave just enough gaps and clues to keep readers guessing. It’s a fairly formulaic pretend journey, but there’s real tenderness in the final scene, and von Kitzing’s candy-colored pencil-and-paint artwork creates a festive mood throughout. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Unter, Unter Agency. (Feb.)