What began as a seed that grows into a tree ends up as a table, but that’s barely the beginning of this warm-hearted picture book about the table–and members of a single family–across years. It’s a table around which (and under!) the bustling, growing, multigenerational family gathers for celebrations and quiet moments; art projects, puzzles and imaginative play; homework and grown-up work; and much more. But “mostly it was for gathering, and sharing stories, and being together … the heart of someone’s home.” A delightful text that makes judicious use of alliteration and wordplay is set against warm watercolor illustrations that show the family at the heart of the story with skin tones and hair in a range of shades and colors. Entertaining visual details chronicle myriad relatable moments as well as change across the years, with children growing up and adults aging. The final page spread shows this family and table at the center of a scene offering glimpses of other families gathered around tables small and large in their homes. (Ages 4-8)

For fans of Sophie Blackall’s Farmhouse comes a gorgeous story of one table and the life that grows around it.

This moving picture book traces a table and its transformation: from a seed to a tree to a treasured object in a home. Strong and stable through the years, the table becomes a space for being together: for birthday parties and science projects, and meals big and small. With captivating text and lush illustrations, This Table will inspire conversations about the everyday, ordinary objects in our lives, and their role in creating lifelong memories.

The table was strong and stable.
It was placed in the middle of a room in the middle of a house, and life grew up around it.
It was perfect for birthday cakes
and catching a slice of morning light,
for drawing imaginary worlds, and unfolding maps to discover real ones.