Around the Table That Grandad Built:

by Melanie Heuiser Hill, Jaime Kim (Illustrator)

A beautifully illustrated celebration of bounty and gratitude, family and friendship, perfect for the holidays and every day.

This is the table that Grandad built.
These are the sunflowers picked by my cousins,
set on the table that Grandad built.

In a unique take on the cumulative classic "This Is the House That Jack Built," a family gathers with friends and neighbors to share a meal around a table that brims with associations: napkins sewn by Mom, glasses from Mom and Dad's wedding, silverware gifted to Dad by his grandma long ago. Not to mention the squash from the garden, the bread baked by Gran, and the pies made by the young narrator (with a little help). Serving up a diverse array of dishes and faces, this warm and welcoming story is poised to become a savored part of Thanksgiving traditions to come.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Melanie Heuiser Hill is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program in writing for children and young adults. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and children. Giant Pumpkin Suite is her debut novel.

Reviews

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of gathering, fun, feast, and tradition. Perfect for holiday preparations.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wondering what to read to my kids to get a conversation going about Thanksgiving. And then, this lovely picture book arrived that celebrates and gives thanks for family, friendships, and the bounty we share with each other on Thanksgiving Day or any day, for that matter.

Beginning with the line "This is the table that Grandad built," a young red-headed girl narrates how the table is set with different but very meaningful items to celebrate a meal together with family and friends. Onto the lovely large table built by her grandfather are placed sunflowers picked by cousins, napkins sewn by Mom, plates, glasses that were wedding gifts, and silverware from her Dad's grandma. Then, there is a bounty of vegetables from the garden, along with toasty tamales, spicy samosas and the rice pudding that is enjoyed every year, a loaf of bread that Gran baked, butter made by the kids, Dad's special huckleberry jam, and a variety of pies for dessert. It is a glorious mix of old and new edible traditions.

And while food is an important part of any gathering, it is the people sitting around the table that really make for the best meals and memories. Around the Table That Grandad Built includes a diverse group of people sharing a meal together in complete harmony, and both text and illustrations evoke the kind of warm feelings and sense of belonging that a holiday like Thanksgiving can represent. My young readers are a diverse group, too, and when we read this book, we began to talking about the different people and foods that are part of their (and my) Thanksgiving. We made a list of the foods served in their families and, just as it is in this book, their tables offered a wide variety of dishes traditional in their families. One of the things my young readers noticed is while turkey is a part of their Thanksgiving, there is not a turkey on the table in this book. They decided, after some prompting, that this makes it a good book to talk about gratitude all year long.

Around the Table That Grandad Built follows the same pattern of cumulative rhyme as "This is the House That Jack Built." Well, only up to a point and then the repeating last line, "Set on the table that Grandad built" is dropped. And yet, the rhythm of the poem, complete with the caesura in the middle, never falters.

We have read Around the Table That Grandad Built a number of times now, and my kids never get tired of it. This is a wonderful, heartwarming story that highlights the importance of being thankful for the people and beauty that surrounds our lives.

This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was gratefully received from the publisher, Candlewick Press

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This warm, inviting picture book focuses on families and the importance of shared heirlooms, recipes, and traditions. The text is cumulative for the first portion of the book, in which the kids are setting the table, and then breaks away from that format to list the bounty of dishes that will be shared at the table. The child-like illustrations, done in acrylic paint, crayons, and digital tools, are colorful and appealing, reflecting the happiness of the family and the delicious-looking feast. Readers ages 4-7 will enjoy hearing this tale, which could be relevant around the holidays, but can be shared year-round as a celebration of families and traditions.

[Gretchen Oates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multi-cultural version of The House That Jack Built.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love cumulative stories!

[Abby Johnson]

This bright and bouncy story features a diverse family gathering and sharing a meal together, celebrating in the inherited dishes, cooking vegetables they grew in their garden, and making traditional and non-traditional dishes. This is a great Thanksgiving book that's not overtly Thanksgiving-y but definitely fits with the season. The first part of the book follows the format of The House That Jack Built, but after the table's set the form deviates into listing the vegetables and dishes they're cooking. It's a little odd, but still a good readaloud and a great one to share when talking about family, food, or being thankful.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This claims to be "a unique take on the cumulative classic 'This Is the House That Jack Built'." The problem with that comparison is that in 'This is the House That Jack Built,' and every other version of that tale that I've ever seen, the story rhymes. This is just a highly repetitive list of items that were set on the table for family dinner. There are no rhymes anywhere in the book, and the cadence isn't even right. A grocery list would read more smoothly than this book. Fortunately, it has decent illustrations, and there is nothing offensive about it (although some folks might not jive with the line about saying grace).

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful tale to celebrate family and good food and gratitude. The "house-that-Jack-built" pattern flows really well through the first two-thirds of the book as the table is set and prepped, and then the food gets brought out. The menu sounds delicious. And it all wraps up with what would make a really beautiful secular grace before a meal.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming take on "This is the House that Jack Built." The family comes together to share a special meal around a special table - that Grandad built. They get out the special place settings and then gather to share food from their different ethnic backgrounds. Shows diverse family members and the joy they feel when they're together.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cumulative tale of generational family, and the memories and gratitude of togetherness around a table built by a young girl's grandfather. The story builds and shares how the activities around the table brings the family together to fellowship.

[Kirsti Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story of of traditions, family and gratitude!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the Table That Grandad Built is a heartwarming story about the importance of being thankful for those close to us. The first part of the book has a pattern where different items are being added to the table like napkins sewn by Mom, sunflowers picked by cousins, and glasses from Mom and Dad's wedding are all being put on the table, and after one is added, the previous items are all repeated. After this pattern ends the story talks about all the food that is bringing them together. The illustrations go hand in hand with the story and really help it come to life. They were created with acrylic paint, crayons, and digital tools, and I feel like the color scheme really fits for Thanksgiving.
This book is very touching and perfect for Thanksgiving time! It would definitely get a conversation going in a classroom about giving thanks and gathering together. It makes you reflect on your own family and friends and the traditions that you have, and I think this would be a great story to read at school or at home, not even just during the holidays, but any time of the year! It can help children and be grateful for what they have. I would definitely recommend this to any child 3 and up.

[J.L. Slipak]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very vividly colored book with a lovely story attached. Large writing, short sentences and easy wording along with short paragraphs is perfect for the more advanced picture book readership. This culturally diverse book brings together family and friends of different ethnicities and they all share a meal together. This book promotes acceptance, friendship, positive relationships.

The artwork is not my favorite but that's just me. It suits the story perfectly, just too incomplete for my liking especially in the characters. The table and food seems finished but the MC and her friends/family have been hurried or perhaps, this is just the style.

I would have liked to see more two or three-dimensional characters to give further depth to the story and message and not look so crayon-drawn. The MC looks too Pippi Longstockingish. Just not for me.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun story centered around a "table that Grandad built." I liked the rhythm and the rhyme that continued through-out the whole story, which made this story entertaining and fun to read. Just like This is the House That Jack Built, this story kept that same concept and added a one-line text about the table, each time a new concept was introduced, until you had a nice refrain to was easy to repeat (which would make this a fun read-aloud). The ending of the story was different though as it introduced a lot of different ideas about the meal that is finally served upon, "the table that Grandad built."

Bright, colorful illustrations adorn the pages with black text that is easy-to-read. The illustrations are simple, yet detailed enough to draw your attention. I enjoyed looking at the faces of the individuals on the pages and their hair,the artist did an excellent job showcasing their individuality.

[Kiarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Around the Table That Grandad Built" is a cumulative classic about a family who gathers with friends and neighbors to share a meal around a table full of memories: napkins sewn by Mom, glasses from Mom and Dad's wedding, silverware given to Dad by his grandmother many years ago. It is Thanksgiving Day, and everyone is getting ready for the feast. The table Grandad built is the first to enter. Then there are the tablecloths, napkins, bowls, silverware, and food dishes. This was a lovely narrative about family rituals and how families can unite in a community. The vivid illustrations appeal to me greatly. I also like how nearly every line of the cumulative text emphasizes how each component of the meal pays tribute to family traditions or individuals. I believe that this book could be used as read-aloud before or after Thanksgiving. The students and I could talk about family traditions before doing any collaborative writing.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will recognize this cumulative tale, made new by Melanie Heuiser Hill through sharing the diversity included in all the ways families and neighbors share the bounty "around the table that Granddad built". Not only do they share the glasses from Mom's and Dad's wedding, but the silverware from Dad's grandma and the napkins sewn by Mom. The tale diverts from the continuing tale when food is introduced, a wonderful variety of food that is set on that table. There's garden squash and 'beans, overflowing', to 'toasty tamales' and rice pudding. There are the pies, too, of course. It's a delightful gathering full of happiness shown with Jaime Kim's child-like acrylic and crayon drawings.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for the copy.

[Brewer Tunstall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around The Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill; illustrated by Jamie Kim
In the beginning of the picture book Grandad's table is shown and described. Throughout the book friends and family are setting the table with things that are important to them. For example, they placed the moms hand-made napkins on the table. Everyone in the book contributed to the table. As more and more stuff is added the the previous things set on the table are repeated. In the end everyone gives thanks around Grandads table. The illustrations are the main focus, not the text. The words are placed where the illustrations are not showing anything important. The pictures are fun, bright, and show celebration. This picture book is recommended for k-2 and is an amazing book.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tale of a special family reunion over a meal, told in a similar format to This Is The House That Jack Built. Although I had picked this up because I was told it was a Thanksgiving meal, I am not too sure if it is or not. There is no mention of Thanksgiving at all in the text, and while the family gives thanks at the table before eating it’s tough to know if that is because they are saying grace, or if it is specially Thanksgiving. Still, it’s a good book for fans of This Is The House That Jack Built and it can be read as a Thanksgiving book, or any other day, really.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I am not a huge fan of the illustrations or even of some of the text but I love the sentiment behind the illustrations and text. I also love that this is a multicultural family with such sweet traditions and wonderful treasures (the table that grandad built, the napkins sewn by Mom, the utensils from Dad's grandma, etc.). It's a lovely story of a family coming together to share a meal, a meal steeped in tradition and memories.

[Caroline Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was somewhat of a repetitive book, good for young children to remember the words, but hard to read as an adult to repeat the same words. It was about a meal that a family was going to have around a table that their grandad built and they would keep adding things to the table but every page the items on the table increased until there were napkins, sunflowers, glasses, and food on the table that grandad built. It reminded me of a Dr. Seuss book without the rhyming.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming cumulative tale describes a family setting a table in readiness for a feast. I love the connection to homemade items like napkins. I appreciated the connections and meaning behind many of the objects, glasses from a wedding and cutlery from a great grandparent. The descriptions of food nearly had me salivating!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story that builds/loops on itself about preparing for a big family meal. It talks about who contributed each piece or the history behind them, with all kinds of members of the family involved, and then there's a huge variety of food. Ends with a prayer before the family eats.

The sense of family history and collaboration here is really cool.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partly a cumulative story (like The House that Jack Built), but that stops after we get up to 6 things. After that, we just add more food and love to the table.

This is about a big extended family and all the foods, cultures, and traditions they bring to a holiday meal together.

(Love the face on the adult when the kid is carrying the glasses -- wedding presents -- to the table.)

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuous building story as in; This is the House that Jack Built. In this story the family adds things and takes part in preparing it for their family dinner. Everyone helps and adds dishes like Samosas, rice pudding, vegetables and tamales. Then they use the dishes and the placemats. This family dinner is a project for the whole family to be involved in and share the experiences together.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A repetitious book that is great to read around Thanksgiving. This book shows several children of color setting the table for a celebration of family and food. The illustrations are bold and colorfully drawn in crayons and acrylic paint, which covers each page with no seam disruption. Reading out loud, the book reminds me of a take on the book, “This is the House that Jack Built.”

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable cumulative story about setting up the table for a big dinner. Would work great for Thanksgiving time! The illustrations are fabulously colorful (and somehow makes me hungry even though the food is drawn very simply). I love how stories and events from the family's past (cups from mom & dad's weddings, etc) are tied in with recent things (the squash that took over the garden!).

[Luciana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story to add to your Thanksgiving collection!

Based on the pattern of "The House That Jack Built", this one centers around a table that grandad built. To this table, come family traditions, special foods, family's favourite heirlooms, family & friends!

The illustrations are fun & colourful; the text lively!

A great book for discussion or to share at Thanksgiving!

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bright, fun story about a family coming together for a meal. It starts with a cumulative structure that dissolves when food comes into play. The illustrations and words together create a warmth that mirrors the family meal time.

[Marge Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book and I sent it to my son for Christmas. He built their breakfast nook table and I thought it would be fun for him to read this book to his children then relate to them how he built the table they were sitting around. He thought it was a fun book to have.

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

In this cumulative tale, an extended family gathers with friends and neighbors around a special table to share a meal made up of culinary contributions from a variety of cultural traditions. Colorful and expressive illustrations show how much everyone has to be thankful for.