One of my favourite things is when, it's a simple thing really, someone enthusiastically passes me a book, especially a picture book. Yesterday my colleague in Westmead Children's Hospital Book Bunker (library) pointed out Our Table which we had on a small display stand. I do wish we had room for more book displays - front facing books are way more enticing to readers that shelves full of spines.
Okay so now I have read a book that I want to share, gift, thrust into the hands of EVERY parent I see reading their phone and ignoring the precious little child in their care.
There are lines in this book that made me cheer and gasp:
"Recently, though, Violet found herself alone at the table. Her family had become busy. Very busy."
"She found her mother on the staircase ... charring silently on her phone."
"Violet found her brother in his room playing games with friends she could not see."
Then Violet sees that the family dining table, where everyone used to gather to talk and laugh, has now disappeared. Luckily Violet is a problem solver, she is a girl of action! She asks her father to join her to watch a carpentry program; she asks her mother to send a message on social media seeking a person who can build a table; she asks her brother to use his computer to draw a plan and then the action begins.
You should share this book with parents, other adults, young children and older children. If you are looking for a text to explore the use of colours to express emotions this book is perfect. Violet's memories of the past are colourful but the technology distractions of her family make her world turn a monochrome purple. Building the new table, sharing stories around the table and the simple act of everyone coming together once again means life for the whole family is once again filled with vibrant colours.
I have talked about the wonderful and important books by Peter H Reynolds in previous posts such as this one.
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