This book is a fun exploration of tea varieties featuring Malaysian mothers and daughters.
Designed for early readers with lively watercolour illustrations by Lim Lay Koon.
The two editions available for you to choose from are a softcover paperback & an eBook:
All profits from the sale of each book copy via this page will be donated to Women of Will. Women Of Will transforms the lives of disadvantaged women in Malaysia and their communities through micro-credit financing combined with an Entrepreneurial Development Programme. These women are single mothers, widows, abandoned or abused women and women with incapacitated husbands living in poverty.
Author’s Note:
I was inspired to write ‘It Is Time For Tea’ from having extra reading hours at home with my two children since the start of the pandemic—going through many picture books and early readers with them repeatedly and seeing them discover new favourites as the months passed.
In addition, being a part of the tea industry for the last decade encouraged me to share some essential tea knowledge for children in a Malaysian context.
This mother-daughter themed book is educational for those who love being read to and those beginning to read independently.
I hope this book will inspire its readers to try different tea varieties and appreciate the simple pleasures of a good cup of tea.
Illustrator’s Note: 
The challenge in illustrating this book was to create teatime scenes that reflect our rich Malaysian heritage and diversity, while also making sure it was contemporary and relatable to the children who will be reading it.
The other objective was to showcase the variety of teas and foods the mother and child enjoy on different days.
I used a mix of compositions and bright colours; and included cultural elements, household items and animals you’d naturally find in these homes to make the illustrations engaging to children.
Together with Sumita’s pleasant and lyrical text, coupled with the interesting facts about the ethnic groups she has included, I hope the book will appeal to and be enjoyed by both children and parents alike.
What an awesome idea. A young reader book.on teas. Can’t wait to see it and congratulations to the writer and illustrator. Stay blessed.
Marvellous idea of tea time with children for them to learn about the various teas available in tea republic ! In a way more tea and less fizzy drinks, because as adults we must discourage fizzy drinks available everywhere as it’s bad for our health
Nicely done, love the references and details..simple explanation and covering all the races 🙏🏼🙏🏼💕, the illustrations were gorgeous and spot on.
Just bought the lovely lil book ‘It is time for Tea’. Arrived safely, with a nice touch of tea packets to try alongside it. Good book with simple insights into our many Malaysian cultures— definitely worth it!
Reading this book to my niece & nephew was a delight. It was a good read especially when it touched on how the different cultures embraced tea & how it is enjoyed with their family members. i learned something too =)
A must read and goes towards a good cause.
Loved how the ways different Malaysia cultures address their mothers were incorporated in the story. The pictures had loads of Malaysian cultural elements which led to entertaining discussions and stories. Highly recommend to parents looking to introduce a snippet of Malaysian culture to their budding readers.
What a heartwarming book…. the stories are simple and easy for children to read, the illustration are so spot on and I love and love the muhibbah-ness of the book, that showcase the multicultural and tolerance of the People of Malaysia.
A vibrant, insightful and captivating book that is suitable for young readers. Kudos to the author and the illustrator for an excellent introduction to various types of teas and highlighting the unique diversity of Malaysian cultures.