It feels like authors are upping the ante all of the time when it comes to writing high quality non fiction for young readers. They are constantly innovating and discovering new and fun ways to provide information on a huge variety of topics. Rachel Poliquin is a master and her non fiction picture books are always a little outside the box. In her second book in the Polite Predators series How to High Tea with a Hyena (And Not Get Eaten), illustrated by Kathryn Durst, not only do readers learn all about the hyena, but also about high tea!

Celeste the cockroach is back, guiding readers step by step through the ins and outs of high tea with a hyena. Sounds like a terrible idea but Celeste has readers covered. She has an answer for every eventuality, providing valuable information about hyenas as well as high tea etiquette.

The Polite Predators series is engaging and hilarious! How to High Tea with a Hyena is part instruction manual, part narrative non fiction and all hilarious. It’s a book that readers can easily hold in their hands, sized like a graphic novel, and can flip through to learn everything you could want to know about hyenas. Rachel Poliquin does her research and includes a multitude of facts and information about hyenas, fitting the facts perfectly into the scene of a tea party. I love how retaining the information is so much easier when it’s put into a hilarious context like a tea party.

Kathryn Durst adds to the fun and hilarity with her illustrations. There are a ton of funny moments throughout the pictures, like her step by step account of the hyenas hunting technique. The hyenas with their mischievous grins and the little girl with her surprised eyes perfectly match the story and the information.