The illustrations are stunning! I have read many books with my five-year-old and two-year-old so I have an eye for what draws my kids’ interest. This book seems very focused on the day from a child’s perspective, such as the focus on things like the praying mantis and bird. The drawing of the worker’s hands spoke to me as the adult. This is the type of book we could read over and over again to catch new meaning(s).

((I will post on my Goodreads closer to the publication date))

I visited a tea field long time ago when I was much younger, and while I don't have the ability to bring my children there today, thanks to this book I can show them what it was like.
It's a wonderful opportunity to look through the eyes of someone different than us

Very charming story about a family’s adventure picking and gathering tea leaves together in the mountains. Such a unique concept and I learned a little about picking tea leaves and the value of working together as a family unit.

The illustrations are also pretty neat and remind me of the old school rustic children’s stories.

Thank you to Charlesbridge and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are independently my own.

A beautifully immersive, informative story of a family who spends the day picking tea leaves in China. Two brothers and their parents make the early morning trek up the mountain, and once they finally reach the top they work hard to gather as many tea leaves as they can. After a midday lunch and an unpredictable rain shower, they make their way back down the mountain to provide the tea factory with the harvested leaves. A wonderful book for exposing children to a culture and family time that may be very different from their own!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A charmingly related day-in-the-life tale centered on family & shared labor, and exploring the natural world around them as the child protagonist & his family work in a tea garden. The writing (as translated by Shan Chen) is simple but effective, and the illustrations are eye-catching and beautiful, rich in color and detail.

Thank you to Charlesbridge for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a day in the life of a young boy joining his family to work in their tea field in China. Gorgeous illustrations and descriptions of the tasks and senses make this read a comforting and immersive experience. I would recommend this book to patrons interested in books about Chinese culture, or to early literacy readers looking for books about the outdoors and the senses we use when working outdoors.

I've always been interested in tea plantations, so this book was an easy choice for me. I like the fact that a charming family tale is weaved together with details of tea picking. The illustrations were beautiful and the text was simple and easy to follow. By the time I finished, I felt like I had a better understanding of the work of tea pickers.

A sweet book that takes you along one day as two children follow their Baba and pick tea leaves. The folk art is both charming and detailed, making it feel like you’re following along. It felt very cozy, while also being pretty informative for someone like me who loves tea!

Follow along with a pair of young children as they head to the mountains to pick tea with their grandpa. This gentle story lets us peek in on a Chinese family as they spend the day picking tea. It's work for the adults, but the kids find a variety of adventures to keep themselves busy. The illustrations are engaging and open the door to the life of rural families in China.

This book was delightful. The expressions on the faces were particularly good! I know many coworkers and patrons at my library who would be equally delighted by this book. The illustrations did a wonderful job bringing this story to life.

Joy is being with your family, as two children show in this delightful picture book. I love how this book shows that the children are willing to work hard (and even look forward to it) as they see it as a way to spend time together.

Picking Tea with Baba by Xu Bin, illustrated by Yu Yin, translated by Shan Chen is a beautiful book on how working with your family or doing chores together is fun. Two boys set out early morning with their Baba and Mumma to their tea garden on the mountaintop to pick tea leaves. Usually, it's Baba who does the job alone but they have all joined him that day after a hot breakfast, carrying with them wicker baskets, straw hats and some lunch. It's going to be a long day at work but it's going to be special!

The foggy morning with the tea ridges serene, looking as if still in sleep, is so well illustrated. The brothers have fun trying to catch bamboo partridges, spotting praying mantis, honey bees and even a black snake. They make tea brewing fresh leaves with water from a nearby spring. With loaded baskets as they walk down hill with great care at sunset, a long back-breaking day at work is over and the tea they picked needs to be delivered at the earliest to the factories. This tea they picked with great care and toil makes its way to our table one day.

On how each member of the family helps or supports another, that working together as a family is important and fun too is depicted beautifully in this book with stunning illustrations. A fine book, a special treat from start to end!

Picking Tea with Baba is a delightful and informative story about a family of tea farmers and their trip to their tea plants high in the mountains. What is a trip of necessity is also one of family unity and togetherness as they gather leaves for market. This is beautifully illustrated and offers a look into an activity of which most children (or adults) have little knowledge. A worthy library purchase-
Thanks to Charlesbridge, Xu Bin and NetGalley for this ARC.

Netgalley ARC - WOW the art in this book is stunning and definitely immersive. I loved the focus on the animals and on the playful sibling dynamic. Recommend!

The illustrations are so beautiful (I especially like the way the family dog is included in the visual narrative in the first couple of paintings). The writing is informative, observant, and artful. So many small, interesting things are woven into one family's day of traveling up the mountain, picking tea leaves, and journeying back down to sell the leaves at market. The characters come alive because the author and illustrator have attended each member of the family with such care. Altogether, a very good book.

Picking Tea with Baba illustrates a day in the life of a tea picker in China. A very "slice-of-life" style, it offers young readers an authentic portrayal of the tea picker's daily experiences.

The title of the book itself invoked a lot of interest and warmth for me. The beautiful illustrations have a lush feel, making you feel like you are in the midst of tea garden yourself. Looking at the book cover, I wondered if the book offers a good mix of describing warm family bond between a tea-picker father and his sons and some snippets from the intricate process of tea picking. This book didn't disappoint on either front. I developed a deeper appreciation for the cup of tea we brew at home after reading about how mindfully and intentionally the leaves are picked. The plucking of the top bud and 2 leaves, without distressing the rest of the plant shows that this is a work that needs focus and mindfulness.

The book also gave us an opportunity to talk about tea cultivation in China, but also closer home in eastern parts of India. Although it hasn't been explicitly mentioned in the book, it is easy to understand that their father leads an extremely disciplined and strenuous routine in his profession. This could go a long way in instilling respect and appreciation for a profession that isnt a regular 9 to 5 job my kids see around us. I also liked that this book gave me an opportunity to talk about how the climate and terrier affects agriculture. How tea harvested at different times of the year has different flavours. Apart from that, this was an opportunity to highlight that global trade has a wide expanse. That a product grown far far away could potentially be consumed by someone sitting on the opposite side of the globe.

All in all, it was a joyful and enlightening read for me and my 4 year olds.

Picking Tea with Baba is a story of a family going to the mountaintop to pick tea leaves. This story shares a view of life in China of a tea farmer and their family. The reader follows the young boy as he is excited to join his father and all his different moments on the mountaintop. The illustrations fit perfectly with the story, using a simple painting method.
I highly recommend reading this story, which shares a sweet story of a family spending the day together taking care of their tea farm.

Through the lens of a young child, I truly felt that I took a journey with the family, hiking up the steep mountain to their tea garden.

Everything seemed fun: finding bamboo partridges, meeting honey bees that came visit the tea-plant flowers, catching strong praying mantis, and listening to Baba sing folk songs.

But the boy also experienced the hard work of tea picking. The tea-stem juice stained his hands and irritated his skin. The repetitive motions tired his back. And he was caught in a rainstorm.

One part of the story that brought me a smile was the whole family resting under the shed, enjoying a hot lunch, freshly brewed tea, and an afternoon nap. Some moments can surely resonate with many children and adults.

I agree with the young boy, “…it is also joyful, especially when I do it with my family.”

Picking Tea with Baba is a heartwarming book that weaves heritage, family, and nature. The illustrator, Yu Yin, skillfully captured the essence of the local plants, insects, village life, and local market, which helped immerse me further into the story. A wonderful book for readers 5-9 years old.

Thank you to Charlesbridge for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!

The illustrations were fun, and both the love and labour of caring for land and growing tea plants could be felt all throughout this little story.

A quick and valuable read that opens up your world to another way of life. I am excited to share this one with my family.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a cute and informative illustration of a day in the life of a tea picking family. The illustrations were beautiful and made you feel like you were there. I think it would be an enjoyful and educational story for the classroom as well.

This is a beautifully illustrated and written book about two children who join their parents in tea picking that day. It tells the story from the children's perspective - naps, bugs, snakes, birds. This was such an enjoyable read.