Written by Rajani LaRocca
Illustrated by Neha Rawat
Published by Candlewick Press
Mom's Review
An energetic little boy and his grandfather enjoy masala chai every day until the grandfather is injured and can't make their tea. As you might expect, the boy decides to make chai, to disastrous results. However, he learns from his mistakes, enlists the help of adults, and finally succeeds after several failures.
In addition to the loving, multi-generational family that exudes warmth, the lack of censure for the boy's multiple mistakes leaves the reader cognizant of and content with the care and reverence the characters feel for one another. The boy finally understands that he must not rush the steps. He understands that he was to make adjustments. I like how he behaves realistically and reasonably; neither first nor second try is a success and no single adult engages in supervising more than a single time. These details lend authenticity to the story and make the characters more relatable; I can just see on parent saying to the other, "I already helped with this mess once, it's your turn now." I also really like how the boy comes to the realization himself that his grandfather is right about not rushing masala chai. On the one hand, he's verifying information via his own experience and on the other hand he is seeing the value in what his grandfather recommends.
Overall, Masala Chai is my cup of tea!
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