This whimsical book by Ottawa illustrator Susan Rennick Jolliffe is set up as the scrapbook of Lady Ginny, a very fashionable poodle who takes it upon herself to orchestrate a year’s worth of tea parties in the absence of her duke and duchess masters. Each month, Lady Ginny and her sidekick, Codger the cat, entertain different animal guests who nibble on treats prepared just for them. It’s a delightful way to learn about the diets of various Canadian animals, from moose (who get watercress and pickled yellow pond-lily salad) to Canada geese and ducks (slugs-in-a-blanket, anyone?). Jolliffe’s illustrations are lavishly detailed and lots of fun, right down to the poodle pattern on Lady Ginny’s teapot collection. 

Unfortunately, the book suffers from an overly complicated subplot: apparently, Duke Ear-Scratcher and Duchess Calls-Me-Sweetie-Pie are on an adventure to investigate the wee flying horses in the Tiny Township. We later find out that they were shrunk down to a teeny size for this vacation, and have actually returned home, unbeknownst to Ginny, and are “still enjoying their holiday being tiny.” Indeed, the observant reader will have already noticed the little duke and duchess exploring the tea party scenes.

Another drawback is that some of the pages are a bit too visually busy, as there isn’t always enough contrast between details to make individual elements stand out. This might make the book difficult to use with a large class or storytime group.