A little girl, her teddy and her dog (and a ladybug) prepare for a tea party in rhyming couplets. A clean white background allows the minimal set dressing and characters to take center stage. Even as the little girl dresses herself and teddy spread by spread, the dog and the ladybug provide a wordless counterpoint, the one solemnly pulling a sweater over its head, and the other squeezing into a toy ring. The girl may look a little wobbly in her mom's high heels, but she's able to set the table and wait for Mommy to join them. It's a just-right mix of text and illustration to coax the youngest readers into following a narrative; the familiarity of the activity serves to reinforce this. A sweet little beginning story. (Board book. 1-3)
