Featured Title
The Table
By Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins, Illustrated by Jason Griffin
This book captures the life of a family through the eyes of a table, witnessing their daily joys and challenges in rural Appalachia. When they move, a new family finds the table, continuing its journey through different experiences.
Ideas for Classroom Conversation
Picture walk your way through The Table again. This time, work with readers to collect evidence of joy in the images. Look specifically for objects in the images that represent joyful experiences or memories the family made or shared. Talk about the table being a central place where the family shared these experiences together.
Do you have a table that you share, and what does your table look like? Who do you share your table with? What kinds of things do you do with other people at your table that bring you joy? This prompt could evolve into a writers’ notebook brainstorm to generate story ideas or into a “table top” art project with symbolic objects to replicate the illustration style of Jason Griffin.
You could also choose to keep the conversation classroom community-based instead of opening the discussion to stories of home. What “tables” do we share here at school? Or, are there other things we share that aren’t exactly a table . . . like, a carpet space, perhaps? What stories would the carpet space or our classroom easel tell about things we’ve done or shared together?
Compare the experiences the table has with the first family in the story and the experiences the table has with the second family in the story. What is similar and different about their experiences? What might the stories of these families, with their similarities and differences, represent about people more broadly? What message might The Table hold for readers?
Additional Titles
All Are Neighbors
By Alexandra Penfold, Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
An uplifting look at what makes a community, celebrating diverse people, businesses, and buildings that shape a neighborhood.
A Feast for Joseph
By Terry Farish and OD Bonny, Illustrated by Ken Daley
Joseph, a refugee from East Africa, longs for the communal meals he once knew. With the help of a friend, he brings the joy of shared feasts to his new home.
Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community
By Susan Verde, Illustrated by John Parra
Ángel's community is vibrant, but a dull concrete wall stands apart. This story follows how the community comes together to paint a mural, telling their story through art.
Ángel's community is vibrant, but a dull concrete wall stands apart. This story follows how the community comes together to paint a mural, telling their story through art.
The Last Stand
By Antwan Eady, Illustrated by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey
A boy helps his Papa run a farmers market stand, caring for their customers. When Papa falls ill, the community rallies together to support him in return.
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
By F. Isabel Campoy and Teresa Howell, Illustrated by Rafael López
A true story of how Rafael and Candice López helped transform their community through art, inspiring the Urban Art Trail in San Diego.
Our Little Kitchen
By Jillian Tamaki
Follow a young girl as she joins her community members in a shared kitchen, preparing and serving dinner with love and creativity.
This Is a School
By John Schu, Illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison
A heartwarming look at what makes a school more than just a building—highlighting learning, community, and belonging.
When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast
By Andrea L. Rogers, Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight
This book explores Cherokee traditions around gathering, preparing food, and celebrating a springtime wild onion dinner.
The Yellow Bus, By Loren Long
A school bus finds joy in her purpose, carrying children to school every day. As her role changes, she continues to discover new ways to bring joy to different communities.
