Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. Ill. Allen Say. New York, NY. Sandpiper. ISBN 978-0-395-90495-4

BIBLIOGRPAHY 

Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. Ill. Allen Say. New York, NY. Sandpiper. ISBN 978-0-395-90495-4 

PLOT SUMMARY 

A young Japanese woman who had spent her life growing up in San Francisco moves to Japan because her parents longed their home country. Masako, a Japanese woman, felt foreign and had a difficult time adjusting to her move. Her mother was in hopes she would marry a man set by a matchmaker, but she quickly acted and left for Osaka, the city that resembled California to her. Applying her western ways of driving and speaking English help her secure jobs and find a significant other that helps her start a new home together with each other and shifted her way of thinking to creating a home where you want it to be.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS) 

The characters in this story of Masako, a Japanese woman are authentic to the Japanese and Japanese American culture. We see Masako pictured outside her American home with an American flag and then in a Kimono upon her move to Japan. Her facial expressions resonate the feeling of the text as she says, “I’ll never get used to this place, she thought with a heavy heart.” Her feeling of loneliness longing for the other students to quit calling her the Japanese word for foreigner, “Gaijin.” We see a good transition from sad to happy as she learns to navigate her life in Japan. As she interacts with characters of other cultures such as the English family who recognizes her American accent, we see her comfortability in engaging in conversation with any foreigners. She becomes promoted to a guide for foreign businessmen and we can see through the illustration the stereotypical Japanese woman dressed in a Kimono.  

The setting of the story takes us from her home in America to Japan. The reader can appreciate Japanese culture through the illustrations as well as the description of her home with “windows made of paper.” Masako is shown taking classes on the traditional tea ceremony which is representative of her environment in Japan as well as wearing a kimono and receives laughs and stares as she walks around the town with her bright dress that catches people's attention. The cultural details of the tea ceremony, Kimono dress customs, matchmakers' practices, and Japanese language, are rich details that accurately depict Japanese culture and beliefs.  

This story of being home-sick and relocation invites reflection and analysis for people who go through similar situations. This fictional picture book meets the criteria for the specific Asian American culture. The illustrations accurately portray Japanese culture and show emotion through character expressions and evoke emotion through the sad and happy parts of the story.  

REVIEW EXCERPTS/ AWARDS 

ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2000 

Book Links, 12/01/01 

Booklist starred, 03/15/99 

Horn Book Magazine, 07/01/99 

Kirkus Reviews, 04/01/99 

Library Talk starred, 09/01/99 

New York Times, 05/16/99 

Publishers Weekly starred, 03/08/99 

School Library Journal Starred, 05/01/99 

Teacher Librarian, 10/01/99 

Wilson’s Children, 10/01/10 

Booklist starred (Vol. 95, No. 14 (March 15, 1999)): “Both an “ugly duckling” romance and a universal story of leaving home, this is a picture book that will have intense appeal for older readers.”  

Horn Book Magazine (July/August 1999): “The longer, more detailed text lacks the simplicity and understatement of the first two books, but readers will be pleased to hear this young woman’s story at long last.”  

Kirkus Reviews (1999): “Painted with characteristic control and restrain, Say’s illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress.” 

CONNECTIONS 

Readers can reflect on a time they felt out of place and write about how it made them feel. 

Teacher or librarian can lead a discussion with readers talking about the Japanese culture. 

Readers can share their stories about relocation and their experience with it.  

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