ISBN: 9780395904954
Bibliography:
Say, Allen. 1999. Tea with Milk. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Plot:
Tea with Milk describes the life of a young Japanese-American girl who was raised in the United States and upon her graduation from high school, the family decides to return to live in Japan.
Analysis:
The main theme of this story is the search for an identity and the struggle to find one's place in the world. Masako only spoke English and was raised as a Japanese-American, so when she relocated to Japan with her parents, she felt lost. The following quote depicts Masako's predicament: "I'm a foreigner in my parents' country, she thought. And they came back here because they didn't want to be foreigners. But I wasn't born here. I should leave home and live on my own, like an American daughter." Another theme found in this text is tradition versus modern ways of life. In this story Masako bravely rejects tradition in the way that she dresses, by refusing to marry the matchmaker's match for her, and by relocating to Osaka and getting a job.
The beautiful, watercolor illustrations accurately portray both Japanese and Japanese-American cultures in the skin tone and clothing of the characters, in the architecture of the buildings, and in the portrayal of the tea ceremony. Other cultural markers include the lessons in flower arranging, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony that Masako's mother encouraged her to take so that she could be a "proper Japanese lady".
Review Excerpts:
Booklist: "Watercolors and text tell an elemental story that will appeal to everyone who feels a stranger at home. Like many foreigners, Masako discovers her home in the city, where she finds work, opportunity, and a husband from an even more diverse background than her own. 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."
School Library Journal: “This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.”
Connections:
*Other works by Allen Say:
Allison ISBN: 9780618495375
Emma's Rug ISBN: 9780395742945
Erika-San ISBN: 9780618889334
Grandfather's Journey ISBN: 9780395570357
Home of the Brave ISBN: 9780618212231
Kamishibai Man ISBN: 9780618479542
Music for Alice ISBN: 9780618311187
A River Dream ISBN: 9780395482940
The Sign Painter ISBN: 9780395979747
Stranger in the Mirror ISBN: 9780395615904
*Check out this interview with Allen Say from papertigers.org:
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