#130 of 1001 · December 8, 2020

What might happen if suddenly, without any warning, you obtained your heart’s desire? Though it might seem like an outlandish scenario, this stroke of good fortune is just what befalls the lead character of Benjamin Elkin and Anita Lobel’s How the Tsar Drinks Tea. Petya the peasant’s modest but good-natured dream is to own a brass samovar—and to his delight he discovers one buried in the dirt out in a field. He takes it home and cleans it assiduously, polishing it to a brilliant luster. However, a busybody neighbor reports Petya for owning what appears to be stolen property, and the accusation takes on a life of its own, leading to an encounter with the tsar himself. Elkin, who drew inspiration for this original tale from a Jewish folk song speculating about the lavish trappings of royalty, finds a common humanity in the genial interchange between the peasant and the tsar. Lobel (wife of illustrator Arnold Lobel) renders the luxury of the palace interiors in glittering detail, and ornaments each page with an elegant floral border. #anitalobel #russia #russian #jewish #tsar #tea #samovar #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks