Tea and Books Saturday #14 - "Tea with Victoria Rose"

Tea with Victoria Rose
By Susan Wheeler, Text by Paul Kortepeter
Harvest House Publishers, 2001

Several years ago my friend Bonnie surprised me with a gift of several tea books, including the delightful "Tea with Victoria Rose." For Easter weekend, I thought what could be more perfect than a book narrated by the tea-loving bunny Victoria Rose Boxwood!

Susan Wheeler's artwork was already familiar to me, having both given and received gifts of her sweet, whimsical pieces featuring teawares. (One of my all-time favorite stationery gifts was a small magnet-backed cardboard "cupboard" filled with teawares, and mounted on the bottom half of the cupboard was a small pad of notepaper. Perhaps some of you have had the same piece? I was so pleased that this particular artwork is reproduced here!) This book brings the same delight as Susan Wheeler's lovely stationery, only in a more permanent and even more enjoyable form. Victoria Rose loves to entertain, and she includes advice on everything from planning a tea party and etiquette tips to musical selections and recipes. I had never hankered to have a "Croquet Tea" before until I read of the one hosted by this charming rabbit!

The artwork alone is reason enough to seek out this charming book, but the text is quite useful as well. I especially liked when Victoria Rose told how one day, she determined to learn "all there was to know about tea," then realized that "the more I discovered about tea, the more I found there was to discover." I so agree! And those who enjoy advice columns in the newspaper will enjoy the Holly Pond Hill Gazette where one Primrose Lapin opines on everything from the use of teabags (she's opposed) to the idea of adding lemon to green tea (in a word: don't). Reading this sweet book each year may become a new Easter tradition for me!