This Table is the story of a lovingly crafted, handmade table and the role that it plays as a family celebrates the events, large and small, that make up their family life.
The Story: From a tiny seed to the heart of a family home. This Table starts as a seed and grows into a tree that’s struck by lightning. The damaged tree is made into a table that is present throughout a family’s development from the baby years through to the poignant picture of a grandmother eating alone.
We love the lyrical descriptions of the table being crafted, particularly ‘screws that turned like ballerinas on a stage.’ The table is placed in the middle of a room and becomes central to family gatherings and celebrations, games, homework and many many meals. The decor in the room changes, the children grow up but the table remains an integral part of the family’s history.
We love the way that so much of the story is shown through the illustrations, mostly detailed double spreads. The mother is a constant presence, she ages as we go through the book and by the end she has grey hair. We also love the inclusion of a cat, another constant and our favourite illustration is the penultimate one showing pictures on the wall recreated from previous scenes in the book.
This Table is a great book to stimulate discussions about tree growth, tree felling and furniture production. Further discussion could lead to the types of tables that children have in their homes, what they are made of and what activities take place around them. It could also initiate discussions about how many of the objects in our home have been crafted and produced.
Age Range: 3+
Author: Alex Killian / Illustrator: Brooke Smart
Thank you PR Catherine Ward and Greystone Books for the review copy of this beautifully heartwarming picturebook.
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