The Table Sets Itself

by Ben Clanton

Izzy is thrilled to finally help set the table, learning all the proper places for her friends Fork, Spoon, Dish, Napkin, Cup, and Knife. But once they get into a nightly groove, Izzy and her friends grow tired of their same old spots. Shaking things up doesn't go over so well with Mom and Dad, so Spoon and Dish run off for an adventure of their own. Lonely without her favorite tablemates, Izzy will need to find a way to convince Spoon and Dish to come back to the table.
Perfect for any kid who has ever resisted a daily task, this clever, pun-filled story is gentle reminder that every dish has its place, and that injecting some creativity into daily tasks can make even the dullest ones lots of fun.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Travel, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

Ben Clanton is the author/illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly series as well as a number of other books as IT CAME IN THE MAIL, MO'S MUSTACHE, and TATER TALES. When Ben isn't doodling up stories (and often when he is) he likes to cook, explore outdoors, and play basketball. Ben lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and kids. Find out more about Ben at www.benclanton.com.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different take on the old Hey Diddle Diddle rhyme, with the dish and spoon setting off to see the world, and sending postcards to recount their adventures. The story is cute enough, with winning illustrations by the author, but there's nothing particularly special to make this tale stand out from the crowd.



Just as a reminder how forgettable this story is - I didn't even remember reading it a little over a year ago.

[Victoria]

1.“What sorts of chores do you have to help with around your house?” (Student Responses) “How do you feel about those chores? Are they boring? Are you proud that you get to help out?” (Student Responses) “Why do you think people in a family have chores?” (Student Reponses). “We are going to start talking about using manners and taking care of others. The first book we are going to read, The Table Sets Itself, is about a girl named Izzy who is proud when her mother asks her set the table for the very first time. However, Izzy and the dishes get tired of doing their chore the same old way every single day. Do you ever feel that way about your chores? What do you suppose you could do about it?” (Student responses) “When Izzy’s friends get tired of doing their chores, they handle it in a way that causes Izzy to worry, which teaches her a lesson about caring for others.”

2.In this opening, I invite students to make a personal connection between themselves and the main character, Izzy, by asking about what chores they do around the house and how they feel about them. I also foreshadow a problem in the story that will help the readers to understand its theme.

3.I chose this title for my set on manners and caring for others because I think students of this age can relate to being excited about being asked to help out for the very first time. I also think it will appeal to them when Izzy and her “dish friends” get bored and try to change up the table setting. Finally, kids will relate to the worry Izzy feels when two of her friends decide to run off rather than remain and be a part of the team. In getting students to use their manner and care for others, this book helps them to realize that doing chores is part of how we show our family members that we care and that being a part of the family “team” is important.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A puntastic, unsettling, side-splitting, runaway classic.
-Monty K.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Table Sets Itself by Ben Clanton shows how setting the table turns from a giant bore into an exciting chore for young Izzy.

Summary: Izzy and her friends (talking tableware) do such a good job setting the table they must do it for every meal over and over. Bored, they all switch places. Izzy's parents finally insist that they set the table the regular way. Dish and Spoon hate being apart, so they run away. Many days and letters later, they return. Followed by a surprise.

Clanton's art was created with HB pencils, watercolors, paper textures, and Adobe Photoshop. His pictures have cartoonish elements, and resemble a child's artwork. Front endpapers show a proper place setting, while the back endpapers illustrate a slightly varied, revised arrangement.

Varying font sizes bring variety and emphasis to this tale featuring fork, spoon, dish, napkin, cup and knife. Children, and older readers who enjoy puns, will relish this heaping helping of them. The book design by Nicole Gastonguay is impressive and spot on. Travel locations mentioned could promote vacation discussions. I loved the mention of a certain closet resident and TV star in the endpapers!

If you enjoy the work of Amy Krouse Rosenthal Spoon, you should eat up this similar entrée. Recommended for school and public library collections.

For ages 4 and up, tableware, chores, humor, travel, puns, and fans of Ben Clanton.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So delightfully punny!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting the table the same way day after day gets so boring for Lizzy and her crew (Fork, Knife, Cup, Dish, Spoon and Napkin.) So they try some different settings, but Lizzy’s Mom and Dad do not like changes. So, instead of going back to their original places, “Dish ran away with Spoon.” And eating at the table just isn’t the same. They look everywhere for Dish and Spoon to no avail. Then the letter arrives. “Bonjour from France” Will Dish and Spoon ever come back?

Fun word play and humorous illustrations.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Izzy finally gets to set the table, and her friends - Cup, Knife, Spoon, Dish, Fork and Napkin - all get into their places. They do the job so well, they are expected to do it every night. Boring! So they change things around which makes for a confusing mess and dish and spoon run away together. Izzy's parents just don't understand. Funny story.

[Bookjeannnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if a chore didn’t need YOU & could do it themselves? Well, table settings do just that with Izzy, a human, helping out. Bit things get boring & then the adventure begins! Writing prompt? What chore do you wish could do it by its self?

[Abigail Anderton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations and the story are both so cute! It was funny how Clanton incorporated part of Hey Diddle Diddle.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whimsical and quirky.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a little girl and all the dishes she sets on the table. One day, dish and spoon run off together and all the other dishes miss them.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally learned the proper way to set a table. Good thing it only took me thirty years. A cute tale of how to set a table and the need to shake things up every once in a while.

[Ginnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a picture book with puns and parodies! This book is great and holds the attention of my girls.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

My two-year-old loved this. I don’t even know how many times we read it before we returned it to the library.

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a really cute concept, but it seems like it could’ve been tightened up just a bit. However, I adore Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly books. Check those out!

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story. It was also an interesting & entertaining way to introduce\reenforce those life skills by going over how we set the table.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puns, naturally.

[Elayne Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a book that dishes out wordplay (as I do), this book--and its cheery kitchen cut-ups-are more than happy to be of service.

[Tyler Patches · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how simple this book was and how cute the child and her dishes were together. It features personified tableware and a little girl with a spectacular imagination. She is bored with setting the table the same way every day and is looking for different ways to switch it up. It touches on the nursery rhyme when the Dish and the Spoon run away together and eventually return home bringing chopsticks with them from their adventures.
I loved this book because I feel it is something many kids can relate to. Setting the table is a common tradition in some families but I can also see the issue with non-traditional families who may not sit at the table together for dinner.
Overall, I feel Ben Clanton did a great job with this book and the illustrations that went along with it.

[Joella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Izzy is in charge of setting the table (night after night). And she and her friends (plate, cup, fork, spoon, knife) find that it is getting a wee bit boring. So they decide to change things up a bit. They all went to different spots on the table. But Dad said that little girls couldn’t sit on the table (Izzy had tried to change her spot to0). And as a result of Mom telling everyone to go back to their places, the dish and the spoon ran away. Of course the absence of dish and spoon made all the rest of the meals not quite right. And Izzy wondered where her dinner friends had gone. Eventually they sent postcards of their travels around the world. Then they finally came back and everything (and everyone) went back to their proper places for their favorite dinner of all–macaroni and cheese. This one had my nieces and nephews laughing out loud. I think they particularly enjoyed the idea of what the dishes would do if they could make their own choices about where they would go. And that made them (and me) laugh all the more.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Izzy is finally allowed to set the table all by herself. She learns the proper place to put each of her friends. But after setting her friends in the same place every night for what seems like forever, she decides to change things a little bit. But Izzy's parents are not thrilled with the new places and make everyone move back into their proper places. Dish and Spoon decide that they will run away instead of going back to boring. The rest of the story centers around Izzy and her friends missing Dish and Spoon and anticipating the mail every day. But eventually everything returns to normal and everyone is happy.

Children will love the story filled with jokes, colorful illustrations, and creative writing. The plot is told from a child's perspective and filled with whimsy and fun. The ending was a neat little twist that will have children laughing. Both of my children enjoyed the story and learned more about table settings in the process.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Izzy is so good at setting the table that she soon grows bored with the same old arrangement of everything on the table. When she mixes things up a bit she gets in trouble and the dish runs away with the spoon.

Izzy and the other table settings miss them but receive letters from they as they travel the world. Lured home by macaroni and cheese Izzy and the other utensils get a special surprise: visiting chopsticks!

The story is funny with plenty of allusions to nursery rhymes, though parents will probably have to point these out to children.

Artwork was rendered using HB pencils, watercolors, and paper textures, and Photoshop. This is one of those reads that will entertain both parent and child, though for different reasons. PreK-2.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled to the brim with sayings that just might go right over young children’s heads, this is an adventure in the rules of table setting, and oh so much more. It’s gets quite boring doing the place setting the very same way every night. So the plates and cutlery, the cup and napkin take off with the little girl Izzy and do things in creative ways. Recipes for disaster happen in the ideas, like putting the knife, fork and spoon in the cup of milk, and that knife says, when crowded, “cut it out”. Izzy sitting “under” the table doesn’t work either, and bumping the table spills the milk while the fork shouts: “No use crying over spilt milk”. Later in the story, the dish really does run away with the spoon! Funny and cartoonish, a silly look at an everyday chore.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do young families still set the table properly? We haven't for decades, even though we do eat together almost every day.

Anyway, I don't get it. I loved the author's Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea but this is different and pointless/ random, imo. Also not even cute or whatever. I just can't see it getting any stars for anything, sorry to be so very harsh.
---
Reread. This time I read it on behalf of my inner child, and she grinned a bit at the puns and zaniness. But still I don't recommend it.

[Samantha Tai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Izzy and her friends Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup and Napkin are excited to set the table themselves. After that they have the set the table themselves every night. At first it's exciting, but they get tired of the same place setting night after night after night. After experimenting with new place settings and getting in trouble with Mom and Dad, Dish and Spoon decide to run away together. Those left behind try to adapt, but it's tough. When they start getting postcards from around the world from Dish and Spoon, Izzy and the others try to think of ways to entice them home.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzy, dish, napkin, cup, fork, and spoon get the job of setting the table. They do it so well they have to do it over and over and over again. They get so bored they decide to mix it up - but when mom and dad don't like it dish and spoon have had enough! Will they ever come back?

The Table Sets Itself is a smooth blend of child like humor, homage to a nursery rhyme or two, and the imagination that we so often lose as adults. A fun one to share and full of illustrations bound to gain a giggle or two.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very clever picture book about a little girl, Izzy, and her table setting friends. Izzy is so excited to finally be asked to set the table. All the pieces go in the proper places, but after a while they all get bored with it. Young readers will have so much fun reading to find out how Izzy and her friends mix it up. The illustrations are very cute and work together with the text to make a cute picture book that kids will love.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free of charge in exchange for a fair review. Thank you!!

I thought this story was adorable. I loved the puns and illustrations. I wish I had this book when I was student teaching in a life skills classroom. I know the kids would have loved it, and it would be a great supplement to learning how to set the table.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Knife was really cut up about it." "Napkin was crumpled." "Cup felt terribly empty inside." Want to teach your young ones about puns? Check out this book! This a cute and humorous read that the littlest readers will enjoy. And nursery rhyme aficionados will get a real kick out of seeing the cow jumping over the moon, while looking for the dish who ran away with the spoon. ;-)

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was just too cute, and a perfect gift for my friend whose little boy loves the "Spoon" and "Chopsticks" books. This will make a great addition to his bookshelf; not one to share with a crowd because there's so much going on you really want to pay attention to the illustrations. Bonus: humor for adults!