A Tea Shop Journal
A week in the life of Minnie and Lizzie (two little Jack Russells) who run The Sea View Tea Rooms
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Miss Collier was wearing her little hat and mittens as she stepped through the tea shop door. She had heard about the happenings of yesterday and wanted to be the first one to stare and tut.
Miss Collier was a devoted Methodist with a hint of Chapel and felt it was her duty to investigate the goings on at the tea shop. She did'nt like Lizzie very much, she thought she was rather fast. Gossip had reached her about Leroy's " deliveries ". Miss collier could'nt bear to think what went on in the back yard. She spent many hours hiding behind the hedge across the road. To her eternal disappointment, nothing untoward had ever happened. It seemed like Lizzie spent most of her time standing on the dustbin, staring at the sea and chewing.
Tapping her stick on the table, she rustled her brown paper bags and glanced around the room. The walls were black with red streaks. There was a strange smell-it reminded her of "Lily of the Valley" with a touch of strawberries.
Suddenly there was a movement from the back of the shop. In the gloom, there seemed to be a shape moving around. Miss Collier peered hard through her thick pince-nez eyeglasses and tried to make out what it was. Lizzie looked across the room; Miss Collier had a strange look on her face. The little knitted hat slipped down over one eye and her stained coat had fallen open at the bottom to reveal a multi-coloured, hand knitted skirt.
Lizzie picked up her order pad. Taking a step foreward, she straightened her cap and smiled. Miss Collier stood up smartly. Her back was ram rod straight. Never let it be said that she could not handle herself. As she slowly backed towards the door , the strange creature advanced across the room. It had a black face and what looked like lumps of pink chewing gum stuck on its chest. There was a strong smell of charcoal and, incredibly, on its head was a very white cotton cap.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This book is about a week in the life of Minnie and Lizzie, two little Jack Russells, who run a seaside tea room. It is a gentle story with characters like Jessie the Collie who is a martyr to the church (and her knitting) and Dame Betty, an amateur Thespian with loads of Saluki style.
The journey takes you through the hilarious ups and downs of Lizzie with her muddling, over the top behaviour and shy, secretive, loving Minnie.
Between the two little sisters they manage, in their own way , to trundle through the chaos of each day.
The story is for big and little people everywhere.
The illustrations are designed for the reader to colour in.
The front cover is from an original painting of Minnie and Lizzie by Dot Merry.
Illustrations by Dot Merry
About the Author
Dot Merry is an accomplished artist and cartoonist. A Tea Shop Journal is her first book.
Having enjoyed the experience of writing a story about her favorite topic (animals) she has just completed another book about wolves. It will be published later in the year.
Each book is illustrated by Dot. The visual creation of her characters is, to her, an important part of reaching out to all age groups, and of course, giving the reader a good injection of humour.
Born in the Midlands, Dot, after spending years wandering around collecting together waifs and strays (including an adopted wolf! ) she finally settled down in the small village of Oakamoor.
Today she spends most of the time writing and painting in her studio, happily surrounded by her beautiful animals.
To find out more about Dot go to her webbsite at; www.dotmerryartist.com