The Blue Table

Starred review from July 15, 2020
A blue table symbolizes and facilitates the connections among family members and between friends. Raschka creates his narrative in two straightforward sentences. His paintings reflect the action and objects described while adding nuance and detail. The story, like most days, begins with breakfast. Food, drinks, and other objects stand in for the characters. "A child" is represented by a glass of milk. Two parents drink from a teacup and a mug; a plate of pastries is shared. A newspaper, book, crayons, paper, scissors, and a flower in a vase spread across the comfortably crowded table before it is cleared so that the family can "get going." Next, the table fills right back up again. Food from the garden, store, and farm are piled high. An apple pie is constructed in preparation for a celebratory meal shared with another family of three. The aerial, foreshortened perspective throughout and numerous items on some pages may give the impression that the jumble of objects is random. Close examination, however, is richly repaid, with the disappearance of food and drink indicating the passage of time and the use of the child's crayon drawings as place cards tying the two meals together. Shown only from the elbows down, the six diners include two with brown skin and four whose skin tone varies from pink to amber. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.5-by-23-inch double-page spreads viewed at 100% of actual size.) A charming and cozy celebration of the places and routines that anchor and connect us. (Picture book. 3-6)

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September 1, 2020

PreS-K-A blue table is the focal point of this brightly colored picture book that takes the food icons of Thanksgiving-pie, turkey, potatoes, corn-and transcends them for a simple story of gathering and gratitude. First one family comes together, planning and organizing, and then a second family joins in to share a lovely meal. The simplicity is deliberate; there is no dialogue, only two dozen words, and there are no faces of the people planning or participating in the meal. Only the hands of the people are shown, allowing readers to see that the characters are of different races. The bright watercolor pictures will offer opportunities to engage young readers in discussions about what the pictures mean and what they might enjoy for a shared meal. VERDICT A pleasant story, with an indelible blue table as its hearth, and most collections will want to add it to their shelves.-Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elem., FL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 21, 2020
Spare text and images center the titular cerulean table, around which a small family—and later, a second—gathers to share meals and gratitude. Instead of showing human figures, Caldecott Medalist Raschka showcases tabletop objects and dishes from a bird’s-eye view, which appear and disappear as the pages turn. In colorful illustrations crafted from watercolor and cut-paper collage, a glass of milk first signifies “a child.” Across the gutter, the addition of a coffee cup and saucer to the surface indicates another arrival—“a parent.” And a page turn later, “another parent” joins, the table now host to a second coffee cup, a plate of cinnamon rolls, and activities befitting a comfortable breakfast (a newspaper, a book, crayons and paper). “Good things/ from the garden,// the store,/ and the farm” are assembled next, among them veggies and a turkey, and a leaf is added to the blue table in preparation for “one more family.” Images include hands and forearms in a variety of skin tones as all gather, “thankful,” for a many-coursed meal. A gentle picture book that celebrates the joy to be found in both everyday routines and holiday abundance. Ages 4–8.