Although the first pages begin with the creation of a wooden table, this delightful picture book presents a touching homage to families. Once the table is “placed in the middle of a room in the middle of a house,” the fun ramps up with engaging portrayals of how it is featured in a family’s daily life. Through a series of full-page watercolour illustrations and sparse use of text, the table provides a spot for a myriad of creative pastimes such as flower arranging, art activities, puzzles, and fort-building but also a place for schoolwork, folding laundry, the office workplace, mealtimes, and celebrations. In its place at the heart of the family, it hosts a zany swirl of activities for the reader to recognize as the family grows and evolves. Scenes of an assortment of different household tables and family activities on the last pages will inspire readers to share their own memories.

Other End Matter: Author and illustrator biographies
Images: Colour illustrations
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Evaluator: Joanie P., Teacher-Librarian, BC Books for Schools

Alex Killian's profile page

Brooke Smart's profile page

Alex Killian is a picture book author whose debut picture book, This Table, will be followed by In-Between Places. She comes from a film background, and she has worked in both film production and creative development. Alex still has a handmade wooden table she picked up after college, which has occupied a special spot in her living places in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as in her current home in Long Beach, California.

Brooke Smart lives with her husband and three children in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her work appears in children’s books, children’s magazines, newspapers, and on walls of buildings near and far. She loves working with traditional media, especially with watercolor, gouache, and (on occasion) acrylic paint. Much of her time is spent at her kitchen table with her family—eating, playing board games for endless hours, creating imaginary worlds from Legos or paper or cardboard and, of course, drawing.

“Prompts discussions about readers’ own experiences around family tables.”
—Horn Book