HOW TO HIGH TEA WITH A HYENA
(AND NOT GET EATEN)
Illustrated by Kathryn Durst
Published by Tundra Books, 2022
The second book in a hilarious illustrated non-fiction chapter book series starring a savvy and stylish cockroach who guides the reader through an encounter with a charming — and dangerous — predator. Is this hyena drooling for tea and crumpets . . . or for you?!
Celeste is a cockroach, and everyone knows that cockroaches are survivors, so who better to give advice on surviving an encounter with a polite predator? High teas are dainty meals with pretty teacups: you nibble tiny cakes, sip milky tea and chit-chat about not-so-important things like why doughnuts have holes and if fish have eyebrows. But Ruby the hyena is loud, ferocious and tends to slobber. High-speed gobbling makes good sense in the wild, but it is a definite no-no in the tearoom! And Ruby just happens to be Queen of a very large clan of hungry hyenas. Will high tea be ruined by uninvited guests? Is Ruby peckish for something other than Celeste’s famous cream buns? Using her vast knowledge of hyenas, Celeste comes up with lots of strategies to get through high tea in one piece. Many of her suggestions are dangerous, most are absurd, but all are based on true hyena biology and hunting behaviour.
REVIEWS
"This [is] an adorable and funny story . . . but it [is] also a good teaching tool." —Jill's Book Blog
"Humorous and entertaining, and worthy of a place at the table." —School Library Journal
"[A] clever approach to the natural world, convincing in its message that . . . there is always more to learn." —Imaginary Elevators
“Snappy, kid-friendly portions of text supported with generous illustration drive the pace of this book . . . Readers will get caught up in the fun without even realizing how much they are learning.” —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
