At Our Table

by Patrick Hulse, Madelyn Goodnight (illustrator)

Genres: Picture Books, Thanksgiving, Holiday, Food, Childrens, Family, Indigenous

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Patrick Hulse makes stuff for kids. Sometimes that stuff comes in a book, or wrapped in a tiny box, or stuck to the side of a giant glowing teddy bear. His debut picture book, At Our Table illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight, received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Patrick has authored and designed craft projects for Todd Oldham Studio, Kid Made Modern, Walmart’s Smarts & Crafts, Making with MoMA, and Crewcuts by J.Crew. He’s made pictures for Honest History Magazine and written poems for NYC’s Fifth Avenue.

Praise for AT OUR TABLE:

“An essential purchase for all libraries...a poignant debut.”
-School Library Journal, starred review

“Marvelously exemplifies the diversity of American holiday traditions and offers a more nuanced understanding of Thanksgiving.”
-Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Reviews

[Z S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVE this book! It's so great to finally have a book for kids that handles the complicated subject of American Thanksgiving with a thoughtful & nuanced approach. Patrick Hulse's writing is precise and layered with deeper meaning and metaphor. It's a "Thanksgiving book" without totally hitting you over the head with it. It's really about themes of family, generosity & gratitude, togetherness, and the importance of holding space for different perspectives. The illustrations by Madelyn Goodnight are beautiful, colorful, and engaging for kids. Buying a copy for all the young kids in my life!!!

[Christie Angleton]

I need to think about this one. The author's and illustrator's notes certainly helped, but there are still a few choices here that I find somewhat troubling.

[Alivia Boothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Our Table by Patrick Hulse is a great educational book for young children. The book highlights what they are thankful for, and what there is room for at their table. The book is centered around Thanksgiving and being thankful. The book allows for new vocabulary and understanding manners as well as being welcoming and accepting. The illustrations are very detailed and matched what the author was discussing on the page, which increases comprehension. I highly recommend this book!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really love the simplicity of the text and the welcome and inclusivity of this picture book. It celebrates what lots of folks love about the Thanksgiving holiday while leaving space to discuss Native mourning and emphasizing the ongoing contributions of First Nations citizens.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a welcoming story that depicts a wide variety of families sharing meals and togetherness in a variety of ways. While the book's conclusion states that it is inspired by the concept of Thanksgiving, the theming is not so heavy that it cannot be shared at different times of the year. Indeed, everyone's observance is so different that we see there is no "right" way to celebrate, and some do not celebrate at all.

I would like to take a line from the author's note at the book's conclusion, "Looking critically at the things we love can be scary, but doing so has given me a deeper understanding of the holiday and our country," and point out that a critical look is most desperately in order for the modern meat industry. As readers are invited to imagine what an ideal Thanksgiving feast--kind and respectful to all--would look like, I also found myself thinking about what, or who, we choose to place on the table.

[Brooklyn Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a warm and inclusive story about the imortance of sharing and togetherness. This book shows a diverse group of characters who come together to have dinner, but each of them contribute a unique thing to the experience. This book shows the importance of difference, culture and power of friendship.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of giving thanks, being grateful and opening our hearts and homes to others.

A good book for the fall season if you don't want to celebrate "thanksgiving".

[Anna Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides representation to all different kinds of families, cultures, and traditions that are all welcomed at the table. It reveals the importance of cherishing both old and new traditions, different kinds of food, accepting people and their stories, and sharing with one another. These are all such beautiful lessons for children to learn, especially as the book includes illustrations that represent people from many different races and how they can come together to create a sense of community.

[Emma Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. This book talks about the diverse ways to celebrate Thanksgiving. It shows different families and backgrounds coming together at the table. During Thanksgiving, people are telling stories, giving thanks to everything around us, laughing, etc. During this holiday, we are also learning and acknowledging the Native American history and how they contributed to our future of celebrating this holiday.

[Elizabeth Browder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows the differences of Thanksgiving and gathering around the table. It includes different ethnicities and races and how they celebrate as well.

[Katy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a community that comes together to eat, share stories, be silly, and everything in between. There are so many different people in this community that represent different communities. Such as disabilities, race, religion, age, gender, etc. I would use this book to inspire students how to get there communities together and we would do a project based on these ideas to hopefully execute.

[Lannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new year round favorite. With themes on sharing and community, and roots in indigenous culture, this book has broad appeal for gathering and sharing in the abundance of food and connection. The illustrations are adorable and represent a wide array of ethnicities and disabilities. The illustrator is a member of the Chickasaw Nation as well. Highly recommend for the holiday/thankful season, but truly a great read for any time of year. Highly recommend.

[alisonwonderland (Alison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture Book Project 2025 (Book 4)

A heart-warming exploration of what American Thanksgiving can mean for families and communities willing to acknowledge the complexities of the holiday and both celebrate tradition and incorporate necessary change. The lovely illustrations are by a First American artist.

[Tanna Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, we follow different characters through many inclusive practices on the holiday of Thanksgiving. I think this story would be very nice to have in your classroom to include all of the practices that your students and their families have. The images in this story are very inclusive and engaging for learners!

[Richard (Rick) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book with lots of heart that would be PERFECT for reading every Thanksgiving as a tradition. The theme of the book is that all are welcome at our Thanksgiving table, and that we honor old traditions, and new ones too. It has some fun moments about kids trying food that is new to them and looks funny. It focuses on the heart of the Thanksgiving: friendship, love, acceptance, and gratitude. It's also illustrated by an indigenous illustrator, and the book has a very appropriate honoring of early indigenous guardians of the land that now produce our bounty. This is a great way to honor the Native perspective on Thanksgiving without giving in to cliches and tropes about indigenous people around this holiday.

I just loved it, and think we'll buy it for reading around our Thanksgiving table!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a darling book. It doesn't mention thanksgiving, but it would be a nice book to read around that holiday.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author states it perfectly"this book is a celebration of family and community, of sharing and learning, of tradition and change, and of similarities and differences."

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good inclusive Thanksgiving book about gathering and eating food with friends and family.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a treasure of a book. After its alluring cover, the first thing I noticed was that a child with a visible hearing aid is featured on the first page (and last). You almost never see this positive representation in children's books. It fully centers Indigenous peoples and People of the Global Majority throughout.

I really appreciated everything this small and beautiful book offered. It is strong on representation as its framework, but done respectfully and in a way that makes sense, emphasized more so by the Author's Note from Patrick Hulse at the end. He shares, "This book is a celebration of family and community, of sharing and learning, of tradition and change, and of similarities and differences. It is a call to strengthen our relationship to the earth and our food, and to uplift and learn from Indigenous voices. It is a promise to hold space for all the complexities the holiday carries."

Illustrator Madelyn Goodnight writes, "It is [important] to me as a First American artist to represent the history of the holiday [Thanksgiving] through this art: The scene of the family mourning and praying in front of the statue of Wampanoag tribal chief Ousamequin (also known as Massasoit) is a quiet and contemplative image, different than the bright energy on the other pages... It's equally important to me to celebrate how today's Native populations are leading, inspiring, and sharing all year round, which is spotlighted during November, Native American Heritage Month."

I will actively seek out more stories by Patrick Hulse and Madelyn Goodnight.

[Morgan the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Thanksgiving book we all needed!!! Beautiful illustrations, calming text, and so much inclusivity within the pages. The focus is more on the concept of being grateful and having room for all traditions and cultures, which was beautiful to see. Native Americans are given a spotlight, shown in how they view the day in a different light, and the author and illustrator (the latter being a member of the Chickasaw nation) have thoughtful notes in the back about what creating this book meant to them. I truly adored reading this.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this heartwarming story, people gather to give thanks in many ways with various foods for a variety of reasons in celebration of family and community, sharing and learning, tradition and change, similarities and differences. Colorful illustrations show how a table is a place where everyone can gather to savor all the flavors of love and life with gratitude. The notes by author and artist offer their perspectives on Thanksgiving as Native Americans, giving readers plenty to think about any time we gather around a table.

[C H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Thanksgiving picture book we have been waiting for! "At Our Table” focuses on gratitude and inclusion by providing a springboard for discussing ALL the intricacies of Thanksgiving. The book subtlety displays the diversity and varied perspectives of the holiday. The illustrations are vibrant, fun and engaging! I believe it will become educators "go to book" for teaching the complexities of Thanksgiving. It is a welcome addition to any children's library!

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

This was a great "Thanksgiving" book without actually being a Thanksgiving book. It's more about shared meals, community and family. I love the emphasis on Indigenous People and their contributions to our history. There is also moments where the book encourages the reader to think of the farmers and harvesters of the food we are consuming. This was nicely done in that the message is strong but not preachy.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title appears to be a debut for the author as it is the only title listed for him on Goodreads. It covers all the things we think of as being thankful for at the holiday of Thanksgiving.
This title was illustrated with graphite, paper, and digitally. It is the digital aspect that is very predominant and the content of the illustrations represent the story elements well, I just didn’t like the very noticeable digital aspect.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand the attempt at inclusivity of this picture book. I did not find it successful for young readers. Is the family inviting the neighborhood over for a meal? Then what's with the small group having a quiet picnic? Or the visit to a monument, and the speech about Native American heritage? How is that "at our table"?
In all, too preachy and not enough plot.
Beautiful illustrations. If an adult reader wants to use this book as a discussion starter maybe students could be enticed?

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

This book is a great way to show an inclusive American Thanksgiving, highlighting how Native American’s also celebrate and handle the holiday. There is also wonderful backmatter from the author about their desire to continue having certain Thanksgiving traditions while also being respectful of how native cultures feel about it.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is THE best Thanksgiving book-- a way to celebrate feasting with friends and (found) family while acknowledging the more troubling roots of the holiday. This story models an opportunity to honor Indigenous peoples for their contributions (and honestly, just their existence).

The illustrations are lively, warm, attractive, inclusive.

an all around must-have (seasonally or no).

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because of the story it tells. It is a kid friendly way of educating students on the real meaning behind thanksgiving and why we celebrate it still today. It opens students eyes to the idea that Thanksgiving is a lot more complex then seeing your family and having yummy food. I would use this book as a class read aloud during the Thanksgiving season.

[Gia Larney · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Our Table by Patrick Hulse is a beautifully illustrated book that highlights the importance of sharing meals and making connections. Through a simple yet powerful narrative, it emphasizes the joy and comfort found in family gatherings and the warmth of coming together around the table. It is a heartfelt story for children.

[Natalie Herzberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was based on traditions at Thanksgiving time, and it also shows inclusion to others, even if their table may look different during holidays, and it shows how families can come together and share traditions, even if they aren’t their typical traditions I would say that this book also shows a lot of respect to others