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Groups of children enjoy drinking tea in this fully illustrated story aimed at young readers. Following an introduction where the author stresses a need for activities where families can have fun without the need for technology, rhymed stanzas accompany pictures of children dressed in various types of animal costumes, who each enjoy teatime in their own special ways. However, the one thing that unifies all of them is how much they love the way drinking tea can bring them together and encourage their creativity. Then, a family dressed as monkeys decides to hold a party for all the young inhabitants of the community, and they send out formal invitations to everyone. The costumed children gleefully accept and travel to the party, causing lighthearted mayhem in their wake and a good time for all.
The message of learning to have fun without technology is a powerful one for children to learn as early as possible nowadays. All the children in this story create their own entertainment by getting physically dressed up as animals and using their imaginations to connect with each other. They use what they know about the creatures they represent to explore what it is like to be them firsthand, and their mutual love of tea creates the basis for parties where they can simply play around. It creates a communal atmosphere that is enjoyable to read about, helped along by the colorful and richly detailed illustrations. The story also feels like a perfect one to read aloud to children—especially during tea parties—and young listeners could find easy delight in the singsong flow of the prose.