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PRESCHOOL
Raschka, Chris

The Blue Table

32 pp. | Greenwillow | October, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-293776-6 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-308484-1 $12.99
(2) PS The titular blue table in Raschka's (Mama Baby, rev. 3/20) latest offering is akin to a stage, with props appearing to represent characters named in the text but initially unseen in the art. Throughout, watercolor and collage illustrations match the text's simplicity, with loose, gestural lines lending a comforting roundness. "A child" is the first character mentioned, represented by a glass of milk on the blue table. Nearby is a vase with a cheery yellow flower that first appeared on the opening wordless page, both objects invoking those who placed them there. Next, a cup and saucer, a mug, a newspaper, and a book introduce "a parent," and "another parent." Someone also places a plate of pastries on the table, and the child's setting grows to include paper and crayons. Then, all objects disappear on a page reading "get going." The blue table is empty--but not for long. "Good things from the garden, the store, and the farm" arrive. But perhaps the most pleasing arrival is anticipated by wordless pages in which the table is extended to accommodate "one more family." Now Raschka provides glimpses of people holding hands around the table in thanksgiving. Readers may regard this scene as the Thanksgiving holiday, but it could evoke any occasion of togetherness, perhaps providing comfort and hope for a return to such times in a post-pandemic world.
Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

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